Wanted: replacement rebounders

By JERRY ZGODA, Star Tribune

Last update: October 18, 2009 - 11:01 PM

MILWAUKEE — The Timberwolves played on without Kevin Love on Saturday in Milwaukee and discovered in a 101-87 loss to the Bucks that life indeed will be different without their best rebounder.

They also played most of the second half without Al Jefferson, who played fewer than six minutes in the third quarter, none in the fourth and fewer than 22 total after he was bothered by what coach Kurt Rambis called tendinitis in his Achilles tendon.

With Love out and Jefferson hurting, nobody had more rebounds than 7-footer Oleksiy Pecherov's nine, and his output more than doubled anyone else on a night when the Bucks outrebounded the visitors 44-35 and outscored them 58-41 by halftime.

"I told them all before the game there's 12, 14, 16 rebounds that Kevin's going to get," Rambis said after his team went over the halfway point of their preseason schedule with a 1-4 record. "That means everybody has to pick up their averages by a couple, three. All five guys have to get in there and rebound.

"We're certainly going to miss his presence -- rebounding, defense, toughness -- until somebody's willing to step up and fill that gap. Until somebody figures out there's minutes to be had and what they can do to earn those minutes."

Nobody did enough Saturday in the Wolves' first game without Love, whose starting power forward spot was filled by veteran Brian Cardinal. The Bucks led by 19 in the second quarter, by 22 in the third and won easily by 14 nearly two weeks after the Wolves beat them by 14 in the preseason opener for both teams in Mankato, Minn.

Oh, oh?

Rambis said Jefferson's Achilles tendon was too sore by the third quarter's end for him to continue.

When asked how serious it might be, Rambis said, "I don't know. We're off tomorrow, he'll get some treatment on it. It's an irritation. Hopefully, it will calm down. ... Today was the first I heard of it."

Etc.

• Love is expected to see the team's hand specialist Monday to find out if his fractured hand will require surgery. The team tried to get him examined Saturday. Love stayed in the locker room throughout the game.

• Wolves basketball boss David Kahn hasn't yet made Love his $3.6 million third-year contract qualifying offer for the 2010-11 season, but certainly will do so by the Oct. 31 deadline. Also expect Kahn to extend Corey Brewer a qualifying offer for his fourth pro season.

• Kahn said nothing is new with Mark Blount or Antonio Daniels, two veterans with expiring contracts who don't want to play in Minnesota. The Wolves likely will buy out their contracts.

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