Wolves lose 111-100 at Toronto, Love reacts to All-Star selection

This is the story of the Wolves' season, isn't it?

On the same night that Kevin Love got awarded for his dizzying individual efforts, the Timberwolves lost to a Toronto team that hadn't won in nearly a month 111-100 six days after they had beaten the Raptors by 16 at Target Center.

Afterward, Kurt Rambis called his team's "abysmal."

I don't recall him using that word before, but you've seen this -- an opponent running its offense and scoring at will -- before.

Love still got his double-double -- his 35th straight, two shy of Kevin Garnett's franchise record -- with a 20-point, 15-rebound game on a night when the Wolves played without starting point guard Luke Ridnour and reserve Wayne Ellington (both away from team to tend to family matters) and lost Michael Beasley when he rolled that left ankle late in the second quarter.

But losing to a team that hadn't won since Jan. 9 was no way -- or maybe the fitting way, with this team -- to end an evening that started when Rambis opened the team's pregame scouting session by announcing David Stern picked Love to replace injured Yao Ming in the All Star Game in Los Angeles in two weeks.

"Everybody was happy for Kevin, Kevin was very happy," Rambis said. "It's something he deserved, a well-deserved award. He and Wes (rookie Wes Johnson) will be representing us in L.A.. It's great for both of them, great for the organization, but when it comes down to it, we still have to find ways to get wins."

Good luck with that.

Here's some of what Love had to say after the game:

"I was totally shocked, I had absolutely no idea," Love said. "I'm truly humbled. I'm truly blessed. It's a goal of mine my whole life and I've reached it. I was very happy."

He should have known something was up when there was a camera crew in the locker room 38 minutes before the opening tap.

He soon found out what it was when Rambis delayed assistant coach Darrick Martin's scouting report by telling everybody the news.

Love is the first Timberwolves player named to the All-Star Game since Kevin Garnett made the 2007 game in Las Vegas.

Here's more from the story I wrote for the web site and paper.

A couple other things from tonight:

* Beasley never returned after hobbling to the scorer's table and then hopping all the way quickly to the locker room before team staff or even the arena's security guards could catch up with him. It's the same left ankle that he turned in three consecutive games last month and made him miss a few games. I'm guessing he's questionable at best for Saturday night's game against Denver at Target Center.

* Jonny Flynn had some of his best moments so far playing less than two hours from his hometown, then got yanked late in the game after he had just re-entered it after he drove and threw up a hurried ill-advised shot that missed wide left.

That's all I got from Toronto here Friday night.

Kent's got the game Saturday night and then I pick the fellas up on the road next week in New Orleans, Houston and Indy.