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T-Wolves finish strong, keep Wizards winless on road

Jan 14, 2011 - 4:09 AM Minneapolis, MN (Sports Network) - Kevin Love shot 13-of-18 from the field and logged 35 points and 11 rebounds, and Minnesota ended the game on a big run to keep Washington winless on the road in a 109-97 decision at Target Center.

Luke Ridnour chipped in 16 points and nine assists for the Timberwolves, who scored 19 of the final 22 points to snap a five-game slide. Darko Milicic stepped up in the absence of the injured Michael Beasley and posted 14 points and 11 rebounds in the win.

Rashard Lewis led the Wizards with 19 points and Kirk Hinrich added 18, but it wasn't enough as the club fell to 0-19 on the road.

The Wizards beat the Kings in overtime on Tuesday and were looking for back- to-back wins for the first time this season.

They fended off an early double-digit deficit and stayed competitive midway through the final stanza. Yi Jianlian's tip-in beat the third-quarter buzzer to pull them within 82-78, and his slam yielded 91-90 lead with 6:25 to play.

Nick Young tacked on a three-point on the next possession for a four-point lead, but Washington missed its next eight attempts from the field.

At the opposite end, Minnesota connected on five straight shots, including a pair of three-pointers from Love, for a 103-95 lead with 2:19 remaining.

Ridnour put in a layup for a double-digit lead the next time down, and the Wizards had no answer in the final minute.

"We were down four and we stuck together. In a timeout we said 'We could not lose this game.' We had the lead almost all game long...It was a big win for us being down in the fourth quarter and coming back," Milicic said.

Love started strong with 12 first-quarter points, pacing the 'Wolves to a 28-18 advantage. The forward ended the first-half scoring with one of his five three-pointers for a 55-48 cushion.

"We expected Love to be a handful. He beat us from the three-point line. I didn't think he would knock down as many as did," Wizards head coach Flip Saunders said.

Game Notes

The NBA mark for most road defeats to start a season belongs to the Dallas Mavericks, who lost 29 straight to open the 1992-93 season...Beasley was scratched because of a sprained left ankle...Washington's Andray Blatche did not play due to a sprained right shoulder...Love has 26 straight double- doubles...Young ended with 15 points for Washington, which received 14 points apiece from Al Thornton and John Wall. Wall also doled out 10 assists...Martell Webster and Wayne Ellington each scored 11 points off Minnesota's bench.