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For Wolves' Love, 'crazy numbers are part of the normal routine

Teammates and coach Rick Adelman marvel at the talent in their midst.

March 21, 2012 at 5:40PM
Kevin Love
Timberwolves forward Kevin Love is coming off a 36-point, 17-rebound game. (Associated Press/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

SAN ANTONIO - Even Timberwolves forward Kevin Love's teammates have grown so accustomed to his nightly statistical accomplishments more befitting a video game that even they don't know when he has had another 36-point, 17-rebound night like he did in Monday's 97-93 victory at Golden State.

"I didn't even realize he had that either until I looked up with 10, 15 seconds to go and saw his stats," forward Anthony Tolliver said. "You know, just a normal night for him, I swear. He just puts up crazy numbers."

Crazy enough that Love's performance Monday was his eighth game with at least 30 points and 15 rebounds this season while the rest of the NBA has done that only six times combined.

"Sounds about right," Tolliver said. "Seems like every other game he's getting 30 and 15 or something close to it."

Rick Adelman has coached NBA teams for 21 seasons now. He has coached Clyde Drexler, Chris Mullin, Chris Webber, Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, but he never has seen nightly numbers like this.

"I don't know if we've had anybody who's put up the numbers that he has this year," Adelman said. "It's just nice to have a guy like that and he's just going to get better as he figures out how to get his shots down the stretch."

Love scored 12 of his 36 points in Monday's telling fourth-quarter, when the Wolves used a 9-3 run in which he scored six of those points to turn the game.

Before that, he made a crucial, wild three-pointer that banked off the backboard just before the end of the third quarter to give the Wolves a 71-67 lead.

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"That was a huge three," Love said. "Obviously, after the fact I was calling bank. I was screaming it."

After the fact Monday, Love realized he had gone for 36 and 17 once again.

"No, I had no idea," he said. "I knew that I had 14 at half because I didn't score in the second quarter. After that, I had no idea."

And he had no idea that none of the other NBA players who have a 30-15 game has done it more than once this season.

"That's pretty good stats," Love said, nodding approvingly. "It's better when we're winning though, I'll say that much."

Monday's victory ended a three-game losing streak on this seven-game, 13-day trip that started with a victory at Phoenix eight days earlier.

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The trip ends with games Wednesday at San Antonio and Friday at Oklahoma City, the best two teams in the West.

"He has been great for us," Tolliver said, "and hopefully he'll continue that because we're going to need all those points and all those rebounds against these next two teams."

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about the writer

Jerry Zgoda

Reporter

Jerry Zgoda covers Minnesota United FC and Major League Soccer for the Minnesota Star Tribune.

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