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Jefferson leads Jazz into Minneapolis

Mar 11, 2011 - 4:09 PM (Sports Network) - A pair of Northwest Division foes meet in the Twin Cities Friday when Kevin Love and the Minnesota Timberwolves host a Utah Jazz team trying to climb back into the Western Conference playoff picture.

Love surpassed the legendary Moses Malone on Wednesday for the most consecutive double-doubles in the post-merger era, totaling 16 points and 21 rebounds as Minnesota earned a rare lopsided win, 101-75, over the skidding Indiana Pacers.

Despite battling swelling in his left knee, Love notched his 52nd straight double-double to break Malone's mark set more than 31 years ago. Malone had recorded 51 straight double-doubles from December 29, 1978 to October 12, 1979 when he was with Houston.

"It was mind over matter. I didn't want to think about how my leg was feeling," Love said of the injury. "We got a precautionary MRI, but I knew nothing would show up. It's just swelling."

Michael Beasley chipped in 16 points and eight rebounds, while Anthony Tolliver and Anthony Randolph both added 14 points to help the Timberwolves snap a three-game losing streak and won for just the 12th time during Love's streak.

The Jazz, meanwhile, tasted victory for just the third time in 12 games Wednesday when Al Jefferson, a former Timberwolve, tipped-in a missed Devin Harris scoop shot at the buzzer to lift Utah to a thrilling 96-94 victory over the Toronto Raptors.

Harris was angling for the final shot, leaning forward from the right elbow and tossing up an underhand try that clanked off the rim. Jefferson and teammate C.J. Miles were both battling Toronto's Sonny Weems for position underneath, but it was Jefferson who got his right hand on the ball, knocking it high into the air and into the basket as time expired.

"Honestly, I just got my hand out there on the ball," Jefferson said of the game-winner. "I didn't realize what happened."

The play was reviewed and upheld when it was clear that Jefferson tapped the ball well before the red light came on around the backboard.

"Everybody's going for it and everyone's in, he's just bigger," Toronto head coach Jay Triano said of the 6-foot-10 Jefferson.

Hitting 17-of-24 shots, Jefferson led all scorers with 34 points. Harris and Miles added 23 points apiece for the Jazz, who are in the 10th spot in the West, 1 1/2 games behind eighth place Memphis.

Both Andrei Kirilenko (back spasms) and Paul Millsap (left knee tendinitis) missed the game against the Raptors, and could return tonight. Kirilenko is listed as probable while Millsap is questionable.

Jefferson averaged 20.1 points and 10.4 rebounds with Minnesota from 2007-10.

"I've been in situations when I was with Minnesota and teams would come in fighting for a playoff spot and they called us spoilers," Jefferson told NBA.com "Right now I'm on other side, I'm fighting for this playoff spot."

Utah has won four straight over Minnesota, including a pair of meetings this season.