Kings 86 - 99 Timberwolves
Final
  for this game

Love helps Timberwolves take down Kings

Jan 17, 2012 - 4:15 AM Minneapolis, MN (Sports Network) - Kevin Love had 33 points and 11 rebounds for his 13th straight double-double to open the season, leading the Minnesota Timberwolves over the Sacramento Kings, 99-86, on Monday.

Luke Ridnour added 25 points and nine assists while Wayne Ellington scored 15 points off the bench for the Timberwolves, who snapped a three-game home losing streak.

Five Kings players scored in double digits, including 12 points apiece for Marcus Thornton, Jason Thompson and Francisco Garcia, but they lost their third in a row and fell to 1-5 in their last six.

The Timberwolves, still fighting injuries to J.J. Barea and Michael Beasley, overcame a seven-point deficit early in the third quarter and had a five-point lead to start the fourth.

"Once we get everybody healthy ... we're very good," said Love. "We can surprise a lot of people. We just want to continue to get better."

Sacramento's seven-point lead came on a DeMarcus Cousins jumper to make it 50-43. The Timberwolves scored seven straight points, including five from Love, to tie the game and used another 7-0 burst later to carry a 67-62 lead into the fourth quarter.

"We forgot how to play how we had been playing," said Kings coach Keith Smart, whose team led by as many as eight points in the first half. "We have to grow up. Our team has to grow up fast."

The Timberwolves never gave up the lead in the fourth quarter, although it was as close as a point during one brief stretch. They built an 11-point lead with an 8-0 run and later stretched it as high as 16.

Game Notes

Minnesota shot 46.3 percent and improved to just 4-7 in their last 11 games against the Kings...Sacramento shot 44.3 percent and finished 1-4 on a five- game road trip.






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