Love leads Wolves past Pacers
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Minneapolis, MN (SportsNetwork.com) - Kevin Love, one of the NBA's most prized free agents in the summer of 2015, recently told GQ magazine that he was "having fun" in Minnesota.
He showed why on Wednesday night.
Love had 42 points and 16 rebounds in the Timberwolves' 104-91 victory over the Eastern Conference-leading Indiana Pacers.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The All-Star forward was 14-of-22 from the floor, 5-of-10 from beyond the arc and 9-of-10 from the foul line in the triumph.
The Santa Monica, California native has been linked to the Los Angeles Lakers, but Love told the magazine that Minnesota has the "better team" and has a "better foundation."
Ricky Rubio dished out 17 assists for the Wolves, who have won two straight on the heels of a four-game losing streak.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"This is one of my favorite wins of the seasons just because they're a very good team and we did it without two key players. We fought hard," Love said, referring to the absences of Nikola Pekovic and Kevin Martin.
Paul George tallied 35 points on 11-of-22 shooting and knocked down all 10 of his foul shots for Indiana, which has dropped three of its last five.
Corey Brewer netted five points during a 7-0 spurt in the early going and his dunk staked the Wolves to a 13-5 lead four-plus minutes in.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Minnesota led 30-18 after a quarter of play and back-to-back buckets by J.J. Barea concluded a 10-2 flurry to begin the second, extending the margin to 40-20.
George finished off a 13-0 Indiana surge with a 3-pointer to get the Pacers back within 44-37, but the Wolves stretched the lead back to 52-39 heading into the break.
Love's jumper at the third-quarter horn made it 82-72 going into the fourth, where the Pacers never got within less than seven.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"You have to give him [Love] credit. He is an extraordinary player and he played an extraordinary game tonight," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said.
Game Notes
Barea had 12 points ... Minnesota shot 48.2 percent (40-of-83) from the floor, but hit on just 18-of-31 (58.1 percent) from the foul line ... Minnesota tallied 18 points of 21 Indiana turnovers.