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).

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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.

That’s all the news for today.

Ricky Rubio scored nine of his 18 points in the fourth quarter
and dished out 10 assists to lift the Minnesota 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.

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.

Derrick Williams scored 12 points for the Wolves, who held the
third-leading scoring team in the league 20.5 points under its
average.

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.

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.

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 and 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.

He closed the game with six straight points to hold off the
Spurs and send the Wolves to their sixth win in nine games.

Notes: Matt Bonner scored 13 points for the Spurs. … Wolves
coach Rick 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.

Feel free to leave your comments below.

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.

That’s all the news for today.

Read More: Kevin Love (F – MIN), Minnesota Timberwolves

Kevin Love and the Minnesota Timberwolves agreed Tuesday to a four-year extension worth $62 million, according to Ray Richardson of the Pioneer-Press.

Richardson reports that Love is expected to sign the contract on Wednesday afternoon — making the deal official just hours before the NBA’s midnight (ET) deadline. Had the two sides not reached common ground in time, Love would have become a restricted free agent this summer. Instead, he’s locked up for the foreseeable future.

Earlier this week, Christopher Gates of SB Nation Minnesota noted Love’s fantastic start to the season:

If there’s a better power forward in the league than Kevin Love, I really don’t know who it would be. Love has notched a double-double in each of the Timberwolves’ first 15 games, which is one shy of the NBA record for most consecutive double-doubles to start a season. He is also currently the only player in the NBA in the top five in scoring (fifth at 24.7 points/game) and rebounding (second at 14.5 boards/game). For good measure, he’s also hitting nearly 40% of his three-point attempts.

Gates must have jinxed Love, who came two rebounds shy of a double-double in the Wolves’ 16th game, but Love responded on Monday with 39 points and 12 boards. Love came into his own last season, and he’s taken the next step into truly elite company this year, ranking No. 6 in SB Nation’s latest MVP Power Rankings, sandwiched between the likes of Dwight Howard and Derrick Rose.

For more on the Wolves and Love, visit Canis Hoopus and SB Nation Minnesota.

If anybody needs tickets to games, remember to click the tickets link at the top.

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

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