MINNEAPOLIS – It was a tense tied game late in the fourth quarter, one these nervous fans were used to seeing their Minnesota Timberwolves let slip away.

Ricky Rubio then splashed a 20-foot jumper through the net for a lead, and the rookie point guard raised his arms, urging them out of their seats and trying to reassure them that times are changing around here.

It’s certainly starting to look that way.

Rubio scored nine of his 18 points in the fourth quarter and dished out 10 assists to lift the Timberwolves to an 87-79 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night.

Kevin Love had 18 points and 16 rebounds and Nikola Pekovic added 14 points and 10 boards for the Wolves, who have beaten the Spurs two straight times in the same season for the first time since 2000.

“We weren’t playing to win the game (last year),” Love said of a team that won just 17 times and faltered down the stretch on countless occasions. “This year, we’re playing to win the game. We’re confident. Real confident.”

Tony Parker scored 20 points and Tiago Splitter continued his strong play off the bench for the Spurs, scoring 12 points and grabbing seven rebounds.

But the Spurs scored only one field goal over the final seven minutes against a suddenly stingy Wolves defense. They also had only two offensive rebounds, which was a franchise record for a Timberwolves opponent.

Derrick Williams scored 12 points for the Wolves, who held the third-leading scoring team in the league 20.5 points under its average and outrebounded the Spurs 46-34 to improve to 9-10.

“It’s a terrific win for our guys, especially against a veteran team like that that wins those games all the time,” coach Rick Adelman said. “Hopefully it’s really a step forward for us.

The Wolves led 73-67 with less than nine minutes to play, but Parker kept the Spurs in the game by relentlessly attacking the rim. He scored on a driving layup, hit a pull-up jumper and then converted a three-point play on another explosion to the basket to bring the Spurs within 1 in a two-minute flurry.

Splitter then fed Gary Neal for a 3-pointer and a 79-77 Spurs lead.

Rubio responded with two free throws and a jumper, then fed Love for a layup that gave Minnesota an 83-79 lead with 1:45 to play.

The Spanish rookie raised his arms to cajole the crowd, who stood and cheered “Rubio! Rubio!”

Rubio had been mired in a terrible shooting slump over the last six games, hitting just 23 percent of his shots. He played more than 46 minutes in Minnesota’s surprising win at Dallas on Wednesday night, then followed that by hitting seven of 12 shots in 42 minutes against the Spurs.

“Even though I didn’t (shoot well) the last six games, I knew that I can do it because I work hard,” Rubio said. “My confidence is high. Sometimes your shot’s going to miss a lot, but you have to keep shooting because if not, that’s going to affect you.”

San Antonio 22 20 22 15– 79

Minnesota 21 20 23 23– 87

SAN ANTONIO (79)

Jefferson 4-9 0-0 10, Duncan 2-12 5-6 9, Blair 0-2 0-0 0, Parker 9-19 1-1 20, Leonard 1-4 0-0 2, Splitter 5-7 2-2 12, Green 1-3 0-0 2, Joseph 1-3 0-0 2, Neal 4-9 0-0 9, Bonner 4-7 2-2 13. Totals 31-75 10-11 79.

MINNESOTA (87)

Johnson 3-7 0-0 6, Love 6-13 6-7 18, Pekovic 7-13 0-2 14, Rubio 7-12 3-4 18, Ridnour 2-8 1-1 5, Beasley 3-11 1-2 7, Ellington 1-4 2-2 4, Randolph 0-1 0-0 0, Williams 6-10 0-0 12, Webster 1-3 0-0 3. Totals 36-82 13-18 87.

3-Point Goals_San Antonio 7-16 (Bonner 3-6, Jefferson 2-5, Parker 1-2, Neal 1-3), Minnesota 2-9 (Webster 1-1, Rubio 1-2, Love 0-1, Beasley 0-1, Johnson 0-2, Williams 0-2). Fouled Out_None. Rebounds_San Antonio 38 (Duncan 10), Minnesota 58 (Love 16). Assists_San Antonio 17 (Duncan 4), Minnesota 18 (Rubio 10). Total Fouls_San Antonio 17, Minnesota 10. Technicals_San Antonio defensive three second. A_16,699 (19,356).

Tags:
sports, updates, timberwolves, basketball

CBSSports.com wire reports
Jan. 27, 2012

MINNEAPOLIS — It was a tense tied game late in the fourth quarter, one these nervous fans were used to seeing their Minnesota Timberwolves let slip away.

Ricky Rubio then splashed a 20-foot jumper through the net for a lead, and the rookie point guard raised his arms, urging them out of their seats and trying to reassure them that times are changing around here.

It’s certainly starting to look that way.

Rubio scored nine of his 18 points in the fourth quarter and dished out 10 assists to lift the Timberwolves to an 87-79 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night.

Kevin Love had 18 points and 16 rebounds and Nikola Pekovic added 14 points and 10 boards for the Wolves, who have beaten the Spurs two straight times in the same season for the first time since 2000.

“We weren’t playing to win the game [last year],” Love said of a team that won just 17 times and faltered down the stretch on countless occasions. “This year, we’re playing to win the game. We’re confident. Real confident.”

Tony Parker scored 20 points and Tiago Splitter continued his strong play off the bench for the Spurs, scoring 12 points and grabbing seven rebounds.

But the Spurs scored only one field goal over the final seven minutes against a suddenly stingy Wolves defense. They also had only two offensive rebounds, which was a franchise record for a Timberwolves opponent.

Derrick Williams scored 12 points for the Wolves, who held the third-leading scoring team in the league 20.5 points under its average and outrebounded the Spurs 46-34 to improve to 9-10.

“It’s a terrific win for our guys, especially against a veteran team like that that wins those games all the time,” coach Rick Adelman said. “Hopefully it’s really a step forward for us.

The Wolves led 73-67 with less than nine minutes to play, but Parker kept the Spurs in the game by relentlessly attacking the rim. He scored on a driving layup, hit a pull-up jumper and then converted a three-point play on another explosion to the basket to bring the Spurs within 1 in a two-minute flurry.

Splitter then fed Gary Neal for a 3-pointer and a 79-77 Spurs lead.

Rubio responded with two free throws and a jumper, then fed Love for a layup that gave Minnesota an 83-79 lead with 1:45 to play.

The Spanish rookie raised his arms to cajole the crowd, who stood and cheered “Rubio! Rubio!”

Rubio had been mired in a terrible shooting slump over the last six games, hitting just 23 percent of his shots. He played more than 46 minutes in Minnesota’s surprising win at Dallas on Wednesday night, then followed that by hitting seven of 12 shots in 42 minutes against the Spurs.

“Even though I didn’t [shoot well] the last six games, I knew that I can do it because I work hard,” Rubio said. “My confidence is high. Sometimes your shot’s going to miss a lot, but you have to keep shooting because if not, that’s going to affect you.”

The Spurs are 10-1 at home this season, but they entered the Target Center just 2-6 on the road, including a 106-96 loss here on Jan. 2 in which San Antonio allowed the Wolves to shoot almost 58 percent for the game. That follows the pattern they’ve set all season, where they have allowed 104.4 points per game on the road versus just 89.5 at home.

“If we’re on the road and we hold somebody to 87 points, I think we have a good chance,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “I felt good about that. But like many NBA games, the last four or five minutes, whoever scores wins.”

The Spurs were much better defensively in the early going on Friday night, forcing three turnovers on Minnesota’s first three possessions and harassing Love into a 2-for-9 start.

But the Wolves turned the ball over just two times in the second half, Tim Duncan was 2 for 12 from the field and the Spurs offense ran out of gas.

The Wolves got Michael Beasley back from an 11-game absence because of a sprained right foot and Martell Webster played for the first time all season after having back surgery in September. Beasley had seven points on 3-for-11 shooting.

Love was playing his first game at home since signing a four-year extension worth more than $60 million. The deal allows Love to opt out after three years, which has the fans a little nervous. But they gave him a loud ovation upon introduction and hope that the Timberwolves continue their upward climb in the standings to keep him in Minnesota for years to come.

“This city is ready to explode,” Love said. “You can feel it.”

Notes

• Matt Bonner scored 13 points for the Spurs.
• Adelman joked that he has banned J.J. Barea from wearing his enormous Dallas Mavericks championship ring. “I don’t want him to pull the other hamstring,” Adelman said.
• Wolves C Darko Milicic missed the game because of illness.

Forget potential, for the Minnesota Timberwolves the future was now as Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love teamed up to take down the San Antonio Spurs 87-79 on Friday night.

The Southwest Division-leading Spurs started the game strong but eventually both teams settled into a tight affair with the Spurs leading by one after each of the first two quarters before taking a tied game into the fourth quarter. Minnesota took a six-point lead early in the fourth quarter but San Antonio came back to tie things up at 79-79 with just over three minutes remaining in the game.

That’s when Rubio and Love took over, fueling an 8-0 run by the Wolves to close the game and secure the big W in front of an approving Target Center crowd. Rubio sparked the run scoring the first four points and then finding Love for a layup. The Spurs had no answer and Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and Richard Jefferson took turns trying to answer but continued to come up empty.

Rubio finished the game with 18 points and 10 assists including some beautiful bounce passes through traffic for easy buckets at the rim. Love added his patented double-double with 18 points and 16 rebounds, but was joined in the double-double ranks by Nikola Pekovic with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Parker led the way for the Spurs with 20 points and three assists while Duncan finished with nine points and 10 rebounds.

Minnesota has a day to enjoy this victory as they prepare for another high-profile guest on Sunday when Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers visit.

For more on the Minnesota Timberwolves, check out Canis Hoopus. You can also head over to SB Nation’s main NBA hub at SBNation.com/NBA.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — It was a tense, tied game late in the fourth quarter, one these nervous fans were used to seeing their Minnesota Timberwolves let slip away.

Ricky Rubio then splashed a 20-foot jumper through the net for a lead, and the rookie point guard raised his arms, urging them out of their seats and trying to reassure them that times are changing around here.

It’s certainly starting to look that way.

Rubio scored nine of his 18 points in the fourth quarter and dished out 10 assists to lift the Timberwolves to an 87-79 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night.

Kevin Love had 18 points and 16 rebounds and Nikola Pekovic added 14 points and 10 boards for the Wolves, who have beaten the Spurs two consecutive times in the same season for the first time since 2000.

“We weren’t playing to win the game (last year),” Love said of a team that won just 17 times and faltered down the stretch on countless occasions. “This year, we’re playing to win the game. We’re confident. Real confident.”

Tony Parker scored 20 points and Tiago Splitter continued his strong play off the bench for the Spurs, scoring 12 points and grabbing seven rebounds.

But the Spurs scored only one field goal over the final seven minutes against a suddenly stingy Wolves defense. They also had only two offensive rebounds, which was a franchise record for a Timberwolves opponent.

Derrick Williams scored 12 points for the Wolves, who held the third-leading scoring team in the league 20.5 points under its average and outrebounded the Spurs 46-34 to improve to 9-10.

“It’s a terrific win for our guys, especially against a veteran team like that that wins those games all the time,” coach Rick Adelman said. “Hopefully it’s really a step forward for us.”

The Wolves led 73-67 with less than nine minutes to play, but Parker kept the Spurs in the game by relentlessly attacking the rim. He scored on a driving layup, hit a pull-up jumper and then converted a three-point play on another explosion to the basket to bring the Spurs within one in a two-minute flurry.

Splitter then fed Gary Neal for a 3-pointer and a 79-77 Spurs lead.

Rubio responded with two free throws and a jumper, then fed Love for a layup that gave Minnesota an 83-79 lead with 1:45 to play.

The Spanish rookie raised his arms to cajole the crowd, who stood and cheered “Rubio! Rubio!”

Rubio had been mired in a terrible shooting slump over the last six games, hitting just 23% of his shots. He played more than 46 minutes in Minnesota’s surprising win at Dallas on Wednesday night, then followed that by hitting seven of 12 shots in 42 minutes against the Spurs.

“Even though I didn’t (shoot well) the last six games, I knew that I can do it because I work hard,” Rubio said. “My confidence is high. Sometimes your shot’s going to miss a lot, but you have to keep shooting because if not, that’s going to affect you.”

The Spurs are 10-1 at home this season, but they entered the Target Center just 2-6 on the road, including a 106-96 loss here on Jan. 2 in which San Antonio allowed the Wolves to shoot almost 58% for the game. That follows the pattern they’ve set all season, where they have allowed 104.4 points per game on the road versus just 89.5 at home.

“If we’re on the road and we hold somebody to 87 points, I think we have a good chance,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “I felt good about that. But like many NBA games, the last four or five minutes, whoever scores wins.”

The Spurs were much better defensively in the early going on Friday night, forcing three turnovers on Minnesota’s first three possessions and harassing Love into a 2-for-9 start.

But the Wolves turned the ball over just two times in the second half, Tim Duncan was 2-for-12 from the field and the Spurs offense ran out of gas.

The Wolves got Michael Beasley back from an 11-game absence because of a sprained right foot, and Martell Webster played for the first time all season after having back surgery in September. Beasley had seven points on 3-for-11 shooting.

Love was playing his first game at home since signing a four-year extension worth more than $60 million. The deal allows Love to opt out after three years, which has the fans a little nervous. But they gave him a loud ovation upon introduction and hope that the Timberwolves continue their upward climb in the standings to keep him in Minnesota for years to come.

“This city is ready to explode,” Love said. “You can feel it.”

NOTES: Matt Bonner scored 13 points for the Spurs. … Adelman joked that he has banned J.J. Barea from wearing his enormous Dallas Mavericks championship ring. “I don’t want him to pull the other hamstring,” Adelman said. … Wolves C Darko Milicic missed the game because of illness.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Minnesota Timberwolves star forward Kevin Love will stay in Midwestern state for the immediate future — he and his team has agreed to a four-year contract extension worth a reported $60-62 million million.

According to ESPN, the deal gives the 23-year-old the option to opt out of his contract in the fourth year if he doesn’t like the direction of the team. Love wanted a five year contract, but accepted the four-year deal with the option on the last year.

Via the deal, Love will stay with the Timberwolves, at least, through the summer of 2015.

“Did I want the five years? Of course,” Love said this week. “It was something I felt strongly about, but at the end of the day, a four-year deal is still great.

“I like the direction the team is headed,” he continued. “I like the youth. I like the pieces, like we’re knocking at the door and we’re close in a lot of games.”

Before the deal was announced, a post on Love’s verified Twitter page (@KevinLove) hinted that it was all but complete: “To #twolves fans: I’ll be in Minnesota for 4 more years! Excited to see you when I get back to Minneapolis.”

ESPN says that Love was eligible for a five-year, $80 million extension — which the Oklahoma City Thunder awarded guard Russell Westbrook last week. But the Wolves refused to budge on their offer, said reports. It would’ve made him Minnesota’s “designated player.” Based on the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement, every team is allowed to have one “designated player”, who receives a five-year maximum extension on his rookie contract.

Love has emerged as the new face of the franchise who hasn’t had a star since Kevin Garnett (who was traded to the Celtics in 2007).

The Minnesota star is currently averaging 24.9 points and 13.9 rebounds per game. If he finishes the season with those averages, he’d be the first player to do so since Moses Malone in 1981-82.

The Minnesota Timberwolves spoiled what could have been a great celebratory night for Mavs fans by defeating Dallas 105-90 on the night the team was presented last year’s championship rings. The fans gave a standing ovation to former Mav JJ Barea, who now plays for Minnesota, as he and two other retired Mavs also received their championship rings at the Wednesday night pregame ceremony.

The game started off well enough for Dallas who led 27-26 at the end of the first quarter and was rolling to a double-digit head with just five minutes to go in the first half. Then somehow Minnesota flipped a switch and started playing lights out. Kevin Love hit two three pointers, and then a couple of turnovers and suddenly the Mavs just had a two point lead at half. Unfortunately, the Timberwolves rode the momentum into the second half as their hot shooting continued. Dirk Nowitzki-less Dallas simply could not respond and was outscored by eight and nine points, respectively, in the third and fourth quarters.

Kevin Love started earning his new $60 million contract with a 31 point, 10 rebound performance for Minnesota. Love has now had a double-double in 17 out Minnesota’s 18 games this NBA season. Ricky Rubio also chipped in 17 points and 12 assists for the Timberwolves. Jason Terry was the leading scorer for Dallas with 17 points, and Shawn Marion added 15 points and 6 rebounds.

Dallas drops to 11-8 with the loss and will host Utah on Friday at 8:30 PM EST. Minnesota moves to 8-10 on the season with the win and gets to enjoy a day off before returning home to face the Spurs on Friday night at 8 PM EST

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

By Jon Krawczynski, Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS — Kevin Love watched friends Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook sign five-year extensions this season and was ready to do the same with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

As the clock ticked down toward the deadline, it became abundantly clear that owner Glen Taylor and president of basketball operations David Kahn didn’t want to go that far.

So the two sides found a middle ground.

Love signed a four-year maximum extension Wednesday worth more than $60 million that allows him to opt out after three years.

The deal offers the financial flexibility and protection from injury that the Timberwolves were seeking while giving the 23-year-old Love the freedom to become an unrestricted free agent in 2015 if he so chooses.

“Did I want the five years? Of course,” Love said on a conference call from Dallas before the short-handed Wolves beat the Mavericks 105-90. “It was something I felt strongly about. But at the end of the day, a four-year deal is still great.”

Love is showing that he is worth every penny this season, including in the game against defending champion Dallas when he scored 31 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and hit 4 of 6 3-pointers in 43 minutes.

Under the new collective bargaining agreement, teams can offer one player on their roster a five-year deal with annual raises of 7.5 percent, which is one year longer and three percentage points higher than any other team can offer.

Love has emerged as the new face of the franchise in the post-Kevin Garnett era, an All-Star who led the NBA in rebounding last season and is off to an even better start this year. He is averaging 25.2 points, 13.7 rebounds and leads the league with 39.6 minutes per game.

“He’s the key of this team. He’s our leader,” point guard Ricky Rubio said. “We appreciate what he does on the court. It’s great for us.”

Coupled with the additions of coach Rick Adelman and Rubio, Love has helped form a promising foundation. Still, Love can leave if he doesn’t like the direction the organization is headed in three years.

“The early termination keeps my options open and I want to see where this team is going to head,” Love said. “I feel that we are (on the right track), and that we’ll get there. … I’m looking at this as a four-year deal and we’ll go from there.”

With this grueling, lockout-shortened season still only a quarter of the way finished, Kahn said he and Taylor felt that extending a player even as accomplished as Love for five years was more than they were comfortable doing.

Read More: Kevin Love (F – MIN), Minnesota Timberwolves, Houston Rockets at Minnesota Timberwolves, Jan 23, 2012 7:00 PM CST

With the eleventh hour approaching, the Minnesota Timberwolves may or may not have landed an extension with their star big man Kevin Love. According to Ray Richardson of the Pioneer Press, an agreement is in place. Love becomes a unrestricted free agent this summer if a deal is not reached and in writing by Wednesday at midnight eastern time.

Richardson’s report says the supposed deal is worth $62 million for four years, which would mean the T-Wolves did not make Love their “designated player” and give him the maximum $78 million over five years.

Now, for what it’s worth, less than an hour after Richardson’s post went up, Kevin Love tweeted, “if you read it on the internet it must be true right?” making it pretty implicitly clear that Richardson’s report is erroneous. Marc Stein tweeted shortly thereafter that the two sides have not agreed to anything and talks are still “ongoing.” A google search renders a result from ESPN with the headline, “Report: Kevin Love, Wolves agree,” but when you click on it, the headline changes to, “Sources: Kevin Love, Wolves talking.”

Therefore, I think it’s probably safe to assume that nothing is final yet, but things appear to be getting closer, close enough for Minnesota beat writers to jump the gun. Stay tuned for more updates.

For more on the Minnesota Timberwolves, check out Canis Hoopus. You can also head over to SB Nation’s main NBA hub at SBNation.com/NBA.

 

The Minnesota Timberwolves have agreed to a four-year, $62 million contract extension with All-Star forward Kevin Love, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported Tuesday, citing a source.

The 23-year-old is expected to sign the new deal in Dallas on Wednesday, ahead of Minnesota’s game against the defending NBA champion Mavericks that night.

ESPN.com reports that the discussions are still “ongoing” and that a final decision will not be made by Love until Wednesday.

“If you read it on the Internet it must be true right?” Love wrote on Twitter shortly after the initial report of an agreement broke.

Love, voted the NBA’s most improved player last season, averaged 20.2 points and 15.2 rebounds a game in 2010-11 on his way to getting his first All-Star selection.

This year he is averaging 24.9 points and 13.9 rebounds and leads the league in double-doubles with 16 in 17 games.

The No. 5 overall pick in 2008, Love is one of 20 finalists for the USA’s 2012 Olympic basketball team.
 

Records aside, the stats say there is probably not a dime’s worth of difference between Utah and Minnesota, two of the younger teams in the NBA.

So, with the Timberwolves playing back-to-back games and nursing a few injuries, it was up to the Jazz to exploit their advantage. That’s what they did Saturday night in EnergySolutions Arena by bumping up the tempo as well as Minnesota’s players.

The results were obvious down the stretch as Utah (10-5) pulled away for a 108-98 victory.

“You feel it in your legs, in the last four [minutes] especially,” T-Wolves (7-9) guard Ricky Rubio said. “We don’t have to complain about that. Sometimes it’s the opposite thing. We rest the day before and receive a team … that played back-to-back, and that’s how it is.”

Rubio, Minnesota’s flashy Spanish rookie point guard, pulled his team to within four points, 100-96, with about 5 1/2 minutes to play. From that point, the Wolves missed six consecutive shots — a sign of tired legs — to go with a couple of turnovers.

The Jazz weren’t great down the stretch, but played well enough to rebound from Thursday night’s disappointing loss to Dallas. Meanwhile, Minnesota had just defeated the L.A. Clippers on Friday in an energy-sapping come-from-behind effort that came down to the last shot.

“We just didn’t do enough things,” Minnesota coach Rick Adelman said. “It was a very physical game. [Utah] came out and they’re going to do a lot of grabbing and holding and bumping. We have to find a way, if not called, to play through it.”

Coming into Saturday’s game, the Timberwolves were on a three-game win streak. They played with confidence. Even when the Jazz went on a 20-8 run in the third quarter to open a 14-point lead, the Wolves attacked and cut the margin to three and eventually tied the game in the fourth period.

Story continues below

Even with a handful of players out hurt, Minnesota challenged the Jazz. There were 13 lead changes and 12 ties in the first half and seven players, led by Rubio’s 17, scored in double figures.

It all came apart in the final five minutes.

“We took them out of their sets,” said Utah’s Paul Millsap, who finished with a game-high 26 points and nine rebounds. “The effort wasn’t really there the whole game, but we turned it on in the fourth quarter.”

It was a lesson in finishing.

“I felt like we came out well,” Minnesota’s Kevin Love said. “They hit big shots and executed well. We need to bring it every single night.”

martyr@sltrib.com

Twitter:@tribmarty

The Jazz’s Paul Millsap is never mentioned in discussions about the best power forwards in the NBA.

But that could change.

Maybe it should change.

Millsap capped a monstrous week against top competition Saturday night, when he outplayed U.S. Olympic team candidate Kevin Love and led the Jazz to a 108-98 victory over Minnesota.

Millsap scored 12 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter, including 10 of Utah’s 13 during a critical 41/2-minute stretch in which the Jazz finally broke away.

In four games since last Sunday — including outings against the Clippers’ Blake Griffin, the Mavericks’ Dirk Nowitzki and Love — Millsap averaged 22 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and shot 57.8 percent from the field.

“We appreciate all his efforts,” said Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin, “and the way he continues to work to get better. As a result, we’re a better team because he’s so effective on the floor.”

Asked if he takes it personally when paired against high-profile opponents like Love, Millsap paused for a moment and broke into a wide smile.

Story continues below

“Well, yeah,” he said. “But you always want to match up against the best. You always want to test yourself. Me, I’m going to take up the challenge every single time. That’s what we play for.”

For the Jazz, who improved to 10-5 this season, Al Jefferson and C.J. Miles contributed 18 points. Raja Bell added 12 as Utah won for the ninth time in 11 games.

Minnesota, which had a three-game winning streak snapped, got 17 points and 11 assists from rookie point guard Ricky Rubio.

Love managed only 15 points, however, and missed 16 of his 21 field-goal attempts. He failed to score in the final 14:03 of a winnable game.

“My main focus was with defense,” Millsap said. “I was trying to help on defense and trying to limit Kevin Love’s touches. I wasn’t really too focused on offense. It just happened.”

Millsap appeared to frustrate Love, who picked up his second technical foul of the season in the third quarter.

“I got my hand on the basketball a lot,” Millsap said. “That kind of takes a guy out of their rhythm. So he got a little frustrated. He got a technical. But I was just trying to do my job.”

Love disagreed.

Next Page »

Paul Millsap scored 12 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter to
power the Utah Jazz past the Minnesota Timberwolves 108-98 on
Saturday night.

Matched up against Kevin Love, Millsap shot 6 of 7 in the final
period on a variety of fallaway jumpers and shots at the rim to
help the Jazz win for the ninth time in 11 games.

Ricky Rubio, who had 17 points and 11 assists, made a jumper
with 5:01 to play to cut the Jazz lead to 100-96. But Minnesota ran
out of gas one night after a dramatic win in Los Angeles against
the Clippers.

The Timberwolves missed six straight shots and had two turnovers
down the stretch as Millsap and the Jazz clinched the victory.

CJ Miles and Al Jefferson added 18 points apiece as the Jazz
shot 52 percent and outrebounded Minnesota 46-35.

As the final seconds ticked off the clock, Rubio and Luke
Ridnour ignored the action on the floor and berated the
officials.

Love had 15 points and eight rebounds, but shot 5 of 21 from the
field and was visibly frustrated at times. He committed four
turnovers and was whistled for a technical in the third
quarter.

It was a big difference from Friday night’s game when Love hit a
3-pointer at the buzzer after Rubio’s 3 tied the game with 20
seconds to play to help the Timberwolves nip the Clippers.

The Timberwolves had won three straight for the first time since
a four-game stretch from Jan. 29 to Feb. 6, 2010.

In a matchup of two young teams on the rise, the Jazz rebounded
from a deflating home loss to Dallas on Thursday and relied on
Millsap when the going got tough.

Millsap is riding a hot streak, averaging 22 points and shooting
over 60 percent the last seven games while facing some of the NBA’s
top power forwards.

Raja Bell’s jumper capped a 10-2 run to lift Utah’s lead to
70-58 and he then hit another jump shot to make it 76-62 for the
Jazz with 5:26 left in the third quarter.

Bell had 12 points and Earl Watson played the final 14 minutes
and finished with 10 points and seven assists.

Behind the playmaking of Rubio, the Timberwolves fought back
with a 13-2 run to tie the game at 84. Wayne Ellington opener the
fourth-quarter scoring with a 3-pointer to draw the Wolves even for
the first time since the first half.

Derrick Williams had 15 points and Wes Johnson scored 13, while
Darko Milicic, Ridnour and Ellington each had 10 points for the
Timberwolves, who return to Minnesota to play three of the next
four at home.

Notes: Key reserve Josh Howard missed his fourth straight game
with a strained left quadriceps. . Minnesota played without J.J.
Barea (sprained ankle) for the fifth time in six games and Michael
Beasley (right foot sprain) for the ninth consecutive contest.
Fellow Wolves Brad Miller, Martell Webster and Malcolm Lee have
missed the entire season. . Derrick Favors expressed surprise at
the $25,000 fine he received Saturday for throwing a ball into the
stands during Utah’s 94-91 loss Thursday night against Dallas. He
said he may appeal.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Whether driving the lane or the snow-fallen roads of frigid Minnesota, Timberwolves point guard Ricky Rubio navigates with a fearless abandonment that’s winning over fans and team mates alike in his debut season in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Rubio has been equally adventurous on the court this season where his well-known passing wizardry is bringing rare entertainment value to the hard-luck Timberwolves franchise.

Basketball fans have lined up to watch the no-look passes and fast-break forays of the 6ft 4in Rubio who has helped Minnesota draw three sellout crowds this season, one more than all of last season, while jumping out to a surprising 7-8 start.

“He’s been better than I thought he was going to be,” said Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman.

“He has a real gift, he’s a great passer in the open court and sees the floor really well. Because of him we’ve really changed things and just put the ball in his hands.”

Rubio has had the ball in his hands since the beginning. Though a rookie by NBA standards, the Spanish prodigy has been a professional since signing with Spanish team Joventut Badalona at the age of 14.

His reputation soon swelled worldwide when he helped Spain win a silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, impressing in the final against gold medalists the U.S. and Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Jason Kidd.

The Timberwolves selected Rubio as the No. 5 overall pick in the 2009 draft but he spent two years playing with Barcelona before reaching the NBA where anticipation had been building for his appearance.

Rubio has not been slowed by the extra attention or expectations. He started the season as a reserve, but quickly worked his way into the starting lineup with averages of 10.6 points per game and 8.1 assists heading into Saturday’s game against Utah.

“He takes everything in stride whether it’s the media, or missing shots or playing extremely well and getting the hype,” said Minnesota All Star forward Kevin Love. “He’s that cool and composed.”

Rubio’s poise under fire has been on display all season and he has emerged as one of the team’s best fourth-quarter players.

Despite missing his first 10 shots in a game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday, Rubio sunk a game-tying three-pointer with 20 seconds remaining that helped the Timberwolves earn a dramatic 101-98 victory.

“I believed in that shot. If not, no one can believe for you,” said Rubio, who has been spending extra time improving his jump shot which is a work in progress.

“(The fourth quarter) is when you have to control more of the game, and I feel much better then.”

(Editing by Julian Linden)

The Minnesota Timberwolves’ offense fell apart late in their last game.

It was a 48-minute struggle for the Sacramento Kings in their most recent
effort.

The Timberwolves will try to snap a three-game home losing streak on Monday
night when the Kings look to rebound from one of the franchise’s worst offensive
performances.

Leading by 18 late in the third quarter Saturday, Minnesota (4-8) was
outscored 24-2 during a nine-plus minute stretch and lost 93-91 at Atlanta.

“When you are 18 up, you have to control the game,” said rookie point guard
Ricky Rubio, who finished with a season-high 18 points and 12 assists. “We have
to learn about that. We didn’t know how to offense that zone.”

The Kings (4-9) didn’t have many answers for Dallas’ defense Saturday and
lost for the fourth time in five games, 99-60. It was the fewest points scored
by the team since a 101-59 loss at Charlotte on Jan. 10, 1991.

Sacramento’s 23 first-half points were a franchise low. The previous mark
was 25 against Boston on Feb. 26, 1957, when the Kings were based in Rochester,
N.Y., and called the Royals.

“When you come into the league, what you want to do is make shots,” said
Kings coach Keith Smart, who is 2-4 since replacing the fired Paul Westphal.
“When you’re not making those, you get down. When you get a collection of
players doing that, the team gets down.”

The Kings are hoping for better results as they complete their five-game
trip.

Sacramento shot 56.0 percent and won 127-95 in its last visit to the Target
Center on March 20. It was the second-most lopsided home loss in Timberwolves
history.

Minnesota forward Kevin Love, who finished with just three rebounds and no
points in that game after suffering an injured left groin, will try to score 30
or more points in three consecutive games for the first time in his career.

Love, the NBA leader with 12 double-doubles, averaged just 6.3 points and
7.3 rebounds as the Timberwolves dropped two of three to the Kings in 2010-11.

Michael Beasley scored a team-best 24.0 points per game in those contests -
including a career-high 42 on Nov. 10, 2010, when Minnesota snapped a four-game
skid in Sacramento – but he is questionable after missing the last five games
with a right foot sprain.

J.J. Barea could miss his third consecutive game with an ankle injury. That
could mean more playing time for Rubio, who has 30 points and 21 assists in two
games after entering the starting lineup Friday.

Wolves guard Luke Ridnour had a team-high 42 points in two home losses to
Sacramento in 2010-11. He scored 22 on March 20, when he got into a
confrontation with Kings forward DeMarcus Cousins after the two became tangled
on a screen.

Cousins, who was ejected following that play for shoving Ridnour and Martell
Webster, has five double-doubles in six games since Smart took over.

Kings guard Tyreke Evans averaged 25.0 points in Smart’s first five games
before scoring a season-low three on Saturday.

Evans finished with five points and nine assists in the home loss to the
Timberwolves last season after missing a 117-116 victory in Minneapolis on Oct.
27, 2010, due to suspension. Evans was sidelined with plantar fasciitis in his
left foot on March 20.

The Timberwolves and Kings have alternated wins in their last seven
matchups.