Thursday marks the rematch of last year’s epic, record-breaking double-overtime game between the Timberwolves and the Oklahoma City Thunder. With Kevin Love missing the teams' final meeting a year ago, this will be the first time he faces Oklahoma City since that record-breaking night. In the unforgettable, back-and-forth contest, a 149-140 2OT win for the Thunder (March 23, 2012), Kevin Love scored a franchise-record 51 points as the two teams combined to score 289 points, the 5th-highest total in an NBA game in over 15 years.
Wolves vs. Thunder By the Numbers
5 – Five Wolves players attempted at least 10 shots that night (Love – 27, Barea – 22, Ridnour – 15, Tolliver – 13, Ellington – 10).
6 – Six players scored at least 23 points (Love – 51, Westbrook – 45, Durant – 40, Barea - 25, Harden – 25, Tolliver – 23).
7 – Kevin Love connected on a career-best seven three-pointers in 11 attempts, also a career-high.
8 – J.J. Barea became the eighth player in franchise history to register a triple double when he put up 25 points, a career-high 10 rebounds and a career-high 14 assists.
10 – J.J. Barea became the 10th player in the past 25 years to notch a triple-double in a reserve role.
14 – The Wolves made 14 three-pointers that night, a season high.
16 – The number of field goals made by Kevin Love that night, a career high.
20 – The number of points given up by the Timberwolves in the second overtime, a franchise-high for points given up in an overtime period.
28 – J.J. Barea’s triple-double was the 28th in Wolves history.
30.7 – Kevin Love’s 51-point, 14-rebound effort at Oklahoma City punctuated a March run that saw him average a league-best 30.7 ppg and 13.9 rpg.
36 – The Wolves attempted a franchise-record 36 three-point attempts, making a season-best 14 (including a career-best seven from Love).
48 – Kevin Love made a league-high 48 three-pointers in the month of March, including a career-best seven on 3/23 at Oklahoma City.
49 – Kevin Love played a single-game career-high 49 minutes.
51 – Kevin Love exploded for a career-high and franchise-record 51 points on 16-of-27 shooting.
60 – The Wolves made a franchise-record-tying 60 field goals, including 16 from Love and 10 from Barea.
60 – The number of bench points by the Wolves reserves, including a season-high 23 from Anthony Tolliver.
85 – The Thunder duo of Russell Westbrook (45) and Kevin Durant (40) combined to score 85 points on 32-of-54 (59.3%) shooting.
140 – The Wolves scored a single-game franchise-record 140 points, led by Love’s franchise-record 51 points.
136 – Total number of combined points scored by Kevin Love (51) Russell Westbrook (45) and Kevin Durant (40).
289 – Minnesota and Oklahoma City combined to score 289 points, marking the NBA's 5th-highest scoring game in the past 15 years, and the top aggregate since Seattle beat Denver 151-147 in two OTs on Apr. 6, 2008.
The Wolves are set to take on the Thunder this Thursday, December 20, 6:00 p.m. CST. If you can't be at the Target Center to witness the action, watch the game on TNT.