Kevin Love Notches 2nd Career Triple-Double In Impressive Fashion
Kevin Love did it again on Friday night. In a season defined by eye-popping statistics, personal feats and milestones that date back 10, 20, 30, even 40 years, Love produced once again in a way that will define this evening as one he and other Wolves fans will look back on with notoriety.
Because it was on March 28, 2014, that Love notched his second career triple-double and first on his home court inside Target Center. His first was earlier this season—a 37-point, 12-rebound, 10-assist outburst against the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City. He’d been flirting with triple-doubles leading up to that evening and has been since, but in order to achieve them you must have the perfect mix of circumstance and effectiveness.
On Friday, in the Wolves’ 143-107 win over the Lakers, Love and his teammates had both.
"He was scoring, he was passing and rebounding," center Nikola Pekovic said. "He was just being Kevin Love."
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Pekovic had as much to do with it as anyone, especially early. After missing six straight games due to injury, Pekovic returned and his teammates tried to get him going early on. As effective as he was, why wouldn't they try to feed him the ball? Pekovic finished with 26 points on 9-of-10 shooting, and because he was so productive early on it helped pile up assists for his teammates. Love was a beneficiary of that.
There are nights where it seems like Love simply tries to take what the defense is giving him—if they're giving him room to pass to his teammates, he'll take it and wind up with a collection of early assists. Tonight, he and the Wolves simply took advantage of a matchup inside.
"Pek is just a lot to handle in there," Love said. "So I think I picked up a number of assists to him trying to get him going early. I think Ricky [Rubio] wanted to get him going early, too, just to get him back into the flow of things. It didn't look like he missed a step, so you know when we move the ball like that I think everybody is being pretty unselfish."
Add in the outlets, and you've got a recipe for success. Love and the Wolves have preyed on the Lakers this season on the fast break. Think back to that Nov. 10 game against the Lakers at Staples Center, when Love kept bombing outlets to Corey Brewer and Kevin Martin in the first quarter. It was more of the same tonight, highlighted by an early full-court pass that reminded this Minnesota native of Cunningham to Moss connections.
"They play fast, so a lot of guys are going to the rim and we're able to get out," Corey Brewer said. "Kevin puts them on the money for easy layups."
Then came the points. Love had 15 at the half on 4-of-6 shooting and then dialed in for seven more in the third. He finished 3-of-5 from 3-point range, which means he's now hit at least two 3-pointers in 19 straight games. That’s the most in the NBA this season and tied for the second longest streak since 2008-09 (Rashard Lewis had 21 straight in 2008-09).
Then, there were the rebounds. These are the most natural part of Love's game—the part he's been known for since college. He feels out where the ball will go, positions his body and out-works those around him. Yet this was the part of the triple-double that happened last. With almost no time left on the clock in the third, Love chased down a board on the baseline and solidified the 22-10-10 effort.
He was asked after the game if he thought he got to the ball in time.
"J.J. [Barea] said I got it, so I guess I got it," Love joked.
What might be most impressive about the triple-double is he did it in three quarters of work. He played just 28:44 minutes--with the Wolves leading the defenseless Lakers by as many as 40 during his three quarters of play he didn't see the court in the fourth. Adelman joked in his postgame he needed that board at the end of the third because he wasn't playing in that final frame.
Minnesota started fast, as they’ve done against the Lakers in the majority of their games against L.A. this year. They’ve scored 47, 26, 35 and 41 in four first quarters against the Lakers in 2013-14, and those fast starts have equated into wins. The Wolves are 3-1 against L.A. this year for just the third time in franchise history—the other two times happened in 2003-04 and 2005-06. The three wins came in the 47-, 35- and 41-point first quarters.
Love started just as quickly. He had 15 points on 4-of-6 shooting to go along with five points and four assists after 1. Along with Love’s triple-double, it is also his 57th double-double of the season and his 45th 20-point, 10-rebound effort.
It's been a season full of big numbers for Love—a season full of memorable evenings for both himself and Wolves fans. Tonight was the latest Don't Blink moment in a season full of them.
"At least 3-4 times he's had like nine assists this season," Pekovic said. "I'm really happy for him that he got his 10th tonight."