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Love leads the way as T-Wolves trounce Pistons

Mar 8, 2014 - 6:24 AM Minneapolis, MN (SportsNetwork.com) - Kevin Love amassed 28 points and 14 rebounds to lead the way in the Minnesota Timberwolves' 114-101 rout of the Detroit Pistons at Target Center.

Three other Minnesota starters finished in double figures in the Timberwolves' eighth straight win over Detroit and seventh in nine games overall. Kevin Martin added 24 points, Nikola Pekovic had 17 along with nine rebounds and Ricky Rubio tallied 11 points, nine assists and eight boards.

"We have to have more discipline in what we do. I don't care what the score is. That is what we have to learn. It has hurt us in the past and it will hurt us again if we aren't aware of the time and the score," Wolves head coach Rick Adelman said.

Greg Monroe totaled 20 points and 15 rebounds for the fading Pistons, with Brandon Jennings and Will Bynum picking up 17 points each in Detroit's sixth loss in its last seven outings.

"We spent the better part of two days showing them and talking to them about (Minnesota's) transitions, their outlet passes, who leaks out. You can show it, walk through it, demonstrate it, but sometimes until you're faced with it, you're not prepared to stop it. And we weren't prepared," Detroit interim head coach John Loyer said.

The Timberwolves put this one away early, stringing together a 16-4 first- quarter run to build a 29-11 lead nine minutes in following back-to-back Corey Brewer baskets. Detroit never got within 16 points over the remainder of the half, with the margin expanding as high as 24 after a 5-0 sequence capped by J.J. Barea's short runner made the score 55-31 just past the midway mark of the second quarter.

Minnesota cruised into the break owning a commanding 66-45 advantage behind 14 points apiece from Love and Martin, and continued to increase the differential in the third quarter as the Pistons put forth another dull effort.

Pekovic's tip-in with 4:26 elapsed in the stanza put the T-Wolves up by 30 at 81-51, and Minnesota went into the fourth ahead comfortably with the score 97-69.

Bynum recorded all 17 of his points in the final period and triggered a 15-5 run that made the outcome more respectable, with the spurt trimming Detroit's deficit to 108-97 with 2:44 left.

Game Notes

The loss was the Pistons' eighth straight on the road, having last prevailed as the visitor Jan. 18 at Washington ... Love notched a double-double for the 14th time in 15 games ... Minnesota shot 45.1 percent from the floor and 78.8 percent (26-of-33) from the foul line ... Josh Smith recorded 13 points for the Pistons, but went just 4-of-14 from the field.