Timberwolves Trounce Blazers...Again
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Kevin Love inside (AP)
March 7, 2012, 10:06 pm
Last Saturday evening in the Rose Garden, Kevin Love and the Minnesota Timberwolves silenced the home crowd and ended a lengthy 16-game losing streak to the Trail Blazers. Just four nights later, Love bombed away on the Blazers again and put another long streak to rest-- as the T-Wolves earned their first home win against the Blazers in nearly five years.
After posting 42 points last Saturday, Lake Oswego native Love put up 29 and 16 rebounds to pace the T-Wolves to a 106-94 dominating win over the free-falling Blazers. Another Minnesota player with Oregon connections—former University of Oregon guard Luke Ridnour—added 22 points for the T-Wolves, who moved into the eighth spot in the Western Conference playoff race. Wes Johnson scored 19 points and went 3 of 4 from beyond the arc.
LaMarcus Aldridge scored 22 points and Gerald Wallace had 13 points, nine assists and nine rebounds for the Blazers, who have lost four of their last five games since the All-Star break. The Blazers’ all-star forward went 2 for 3 from the free throw line -- his first foul shots in four games -- but was outshined by Love for the second straight game. Aldridge was held to just five points in the second half and two in the fourth quarter. Love connected on 3 of 5 behind the arc and played the entire second half.
Raymond Felton started and had 23 points and nine assists for the Blazers, who cut the deficit to six points with 4:15 to play. Ridnour then hit a 3 and a pair of free throws, and former Blazer Martell Webster knocked down another three pointer for a 102-88 lead that put away the game.
Jamal Crawford, who has been linked to Minnesota in trade rumors recently, had just six points on 3-for-13 shooting.
Things don’t get any easier for the Blazers, who now have six more games to go on this long road trip. Next up is a trip to Boston for a date with the Celtics. Tip-off at 4:30 on 750 The Game KXTG Portland.
