Wolves lose 98-89 at New Orleans, Love gets double-double in 24 minute debut

The Wolves lost for the 17th time in 19 games, and the second straight since they ended that 15-game losing streak Sunday in Denver.

Friday was the night Kevin Love returned to the lineup for the first time this regular season, the first time since he broke his left hand in a preseason game at Chicago on Oct. 16.

He played half the game -- a 24-minute performance he said was at least 10 more than he thought it'd play.

He got a double-double (11 points, 11 rebounds), just like he did 29 times a year ago in his rookie season.

He was the first guy off the bench midway through the first quarter.

By then, his team already trailed 16-6. With Love on the floor, the Wolves reversed course with a 12-2 run of their own that got them back into a tie.

By late in the second quarter, they led by as many as 11 points.

Included were three free throws with a tenth of a second left after he fooled Ryan Hollins and the refs into a shooting foul near midcourt just before the half expired.

From there, the Hornets produced a 28-16 third quarter (yep, third quarter gets the Wolves again) that pushed the game out of reach.

Love played all night with that padded offensive lineman's glove to protect the back of his hand. He said he was both encouraged and relieved after he fell hard, whacked his hand and wrist on the floor and got up without incident.

"That shocked me a little bit, but actually I needed that a little bit," he said.

He said he was anxious to see how his body feels when wakes up Saturday morning.