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CLEVELAND
MINNESOTA |
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204
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Final
90 |
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| 511 | CLEVELAND | -9 | -9.5 | | 512 | MINNESOTA | 206 | 204.5 |
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| All Games | 28-20 | -15 | 21-27 | 17-30 | 101.7 | 52.7 | 45.2% | 51.0 | 99.6 | 50.8 | 46.2% | 49.5 | | Road Games | 11-11 | +0.1 | 8-14 | 7-14 | 100.4 | 50.7 | 43.5% | 51.0 | 101.5 | 53.3 | 47.5% | 51.0 | | Last 5 Games | 5-0 | +5 | 4-1 | 1-4 | 108.0 | 57.6 | 45.0% | 56.2 | 93.4 | 43.2 | 40.2% | 52.8 |
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| Team Stats (All Games) | 101.7 | 52.7 | 37-82 | 45.2% | 9-25 | 35.1% | 19-24 | 75.8% | 51 | 11 | 22 | 18 | 7 | 13 | 4 | | vs opponents surrendering | 99.8 | 49.6 | 37-83 | 44.9% | 8-22 | 34.8% | 17-23 | 75.3% | 51 | 11 | 22 | 20 | 8 | 14 | 5 | | Team Stats (Road Games) | 100.4 | 50.7 | 36-83 | 43.5% | 8-25 | 32.7% | 20-26 | 75.9% | 51 | 12 | 19 | 19 | 8 | 13 | 3 | | Stats Against (All Games) | 99.6 | 50.8 | 38-83 | 46.2% | 8-23 | 34.7% | 15-20 | 75.7% | 49 | 11 | 25 | 21 | 7 | 13 | 5 | | vs opponents averaging | 99.9 | 49.6 | 37-83 | 45.0% | 8-22 | 34.9% | 17-23 | 75.5% | 52 | 11 | 22 | 20 | 8 | 14 | 5 | | Stats Against (Road Games) | 101.5 | 53.3 | 39-83 | 47.5% | 8-24 | 33.5% | 15-20 | 74.4% | 51 | 10 | 25 | 22 | 7 | 13 | 5 |
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| All Games | 8-38 | -13.2 | 19-26 | 25-21 | 97.5 | 46.6 | 43.5% | 50.7 | 106.9 | 53.9 | 49.3% | 50.5 | | Home Games | 4-17 | -10.9 | 8-13 | 11-10 | 95.9 | 46.2 | 42.7% | 51.2 | 102.7 | 51.6 | 48.0% | 50.9 | | Last 5 Games | 1-4 | -2.2 | 3-2 | 3-2 | 94.4 | 47.6 | 44.0% | 51.2 | 99.4 | 52.8 | 48.7% | 45.2 |
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| Team Stats (All Games) | 97.5 | 46.6 | 37-85 | 43.5% | 5-15 | 33.5% | 19-25 | 75.0% | 51 | 12 | 22 | 19 | 9 | 14 | 4 | | vs opponents surrendering | 100.1 | 49.7 | 37-84 | 44.7% | 8-22 | 34.7% | 18-23 | 75.4% | 52 | 11 | 22 | 20 | 8 | 14 | 5 | | Team Stats (Home Games) | 95.9 | 46.2 | 37-86 | 42.7% | 4-15 | 30.5% | 18-24 | 75.7% | 51 | 13 | 22 | 19 | 9 | 14 | 4 | | Stats Against (All Games) | 106.9 | 53.9 | 41-83 | 49.3% | 8-22 | 37.7% | 16-21 | 77.2% | 51 | 11 | 23 | 21 | 8 | 15 | 6 | | vs opponents averaging | 100.3 | 49.9 | 38-84 | 45.0% | 8-23 | 34.8% | 17-23 | 75.3% | 52 | 11 | 22 | 21 | 8 | 14 | 5 | | Stats Against (Home Games) | 102.7 | 51.6 | 39-82 | 48.0% | 8-21 | 35.0% | 16-21 | 78.4% | 51 | 11 | 21 | 21 | 8 | 15 | 6 |
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| | Average power rating of opponents played: CLEVELAND 95.1, MINNESOTA 95.8 |
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| 12/23/2014 | MINNESOTA | 125-104 | W | -14 | W | 210.5 | O | 44-84 | 52.4% | 51 | 17 | 39-88 | 44.3% | 51 | 18 | | 12/25/2014 | @ MIAMI | 91-101 | L | -6 | L | 196 | U | 32-72 | 44.4% | 45 | 15 | 40-84 | 47.6% | 54 | 11 | | 12/26/2014 | @ ORLANDO | 98-89 | W | -3.5 | W | 196 | U | 33-80 | 41.2% | 45 | 9 | 36-73 | 49.3% | 45 | 16 | | 12/28/2014 | DETROIT | 80-103 | L | -7.5 | L | 205 | U | 31-82 | 37.8% | 57 | 17 | 41-91 | 45.1% | 53 | 10 | | 12/30/2014 | @ ATLANTA | 101-109 | L | 6.5 | L | 202 | O | 37-84 | 44.0% | 50 | 18 | 40-79 | 50.6% | 50 | 15 | | 12/31/2014 | MILWAUKEE | 80-96 | L | 1 | L | 200 | U | 29-85 | 34.1% | 52 | 12 | 40-90 | 44.4% | 61 | 10 | | 1/2/2015 | @ CHARLOTTE | 91-87 | W | -1.5 | W | 193 | U | 33-87 | 37.9% | 59 | 7 | 32-87 | 36.8% | 68 | 14 | | 1/4/2015 | DALLAS | 90-109 | L | 7.5 | L | 207.5 | U | 35-86 | 40.7% | 50 | 12 | 44-78 | 56.4% | 42 | 10 | | 1/5/2015 | @ PHILADELPHIA | 92-95 | L | -4.5 | L | 193 | U | 33-85 | 38.8% | 51 | 11 | 38-79 | 48.1% | 52 | 17 | | 1/7/2015 | HOUSTON | 93-105 | L | 6 | L | 197.5 | O | 34-82 | 41.5% | 47 | 15 | 39-86 | 45.3% | 61 | 17 | | 1/9/2015 | @ GOLDEN STATE | 94-112 | L | 13.5 | L | 211 | U | 35-86 | 40.7% | 51 | 14 | 43-86 | 50.0% | 50 | 13 | | 1/11/2015 | @ SACRAMENTO | 84-103 | L | 3.5 | L | 206 | U | 33-78 | 42.3% | 44 | 14 | 42-86 | 48.8% | 54 | 4 | | 1/13/2015 | @ PHOENIX | 100-107 | L | 4.5 | L | 213.5 | U | 36-82 | 43.9% | 50 | 19 | 40-76 | 52.6% | 44 | 11 | | 1/15/2015 | @ LA LAKERS | 109-102 | W | -6.5 | W | 207.5 | O | 37-79 | 46.8% | 51 | 9 | 39-76 | 51.3% | 45 | 11 | | 1/16/2015 | @ LA CLIPPERS | 126-121 | W | 8.5 | W | 206.5 | O | 46-83 | 55.4% | 53 | 19 | 43-91 | 47.3% | 50 | 13 | | 1/19/2015 | CHICAGO | 108-94 | W | -4.5 | W | 207 | U | 41-90 | 45.6% | 63 | 12 | 30-80 | 37.5% | 49 | 8 | | 1/21/2015 | UTAH | 106-92 | W | -9.5 | W | 196.5 | O | 42-81 | 51.9% | 49 | 13 | 35-84 | 41.7% | 51 | 17 | | 1/23/2015 | CHARLOTTE | 129-90 | W | -10 | W | 194 | O | 46-89 | 51.7% | 62 | 11 | 36-89 | 40.4% | 48 | 11 | | 1/25/2015 | OKLAHOMA CITY | 108-98 | W | -3 | W | 212.5 | U | 36-82 | 43.9% | 63 | 11 | 37-94 | 39.4% | 53 | 8 | | 1/27/2015 | @ DETROIT | 103-95 | W | -9 | L | 209 | U | 39-93 | 41.9% | 51 | 9 | 35-83 | 42.2% | 58 | 18 | | 1/28/2015 | PORTLAND | 99-94 | W | -2.5 | W | 203 | U | 34-85 | 40.0% | 53 | 8 | 35-80 | 43.7% | 48 | 8 | | 1/30/2015 | SACRAMENTO | 101-90 | W | -10.5 | W | 209.5 | U | 38-80 | 47.5% | 52 | 17 | 30-84 | 35.7% | 57 | 16 | | 1/31/2015 | @ MINNESOTA | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2/2/2015 | PHILADELPHIA | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2/5/2015 | LA CLIPPERS | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2/6/2015 | @ INDIANA | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2/8/2015 | LA LAKERS | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2/11/2015 | MIAMI | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2/12/2015 | @ CHICAGO | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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| 12/23/2014 | @ CLEVELAND | 104-125 | L | 14 | L | 210.5 | O | 39-88 | 44.3% | 51 | 18 | 44-84 | 52.4% | 51 | 17 | | 12/26/2014 | @ DENVER | 102-106 | L | 10 | W | 213 | U | 41-103 | 39.8% | 61 | 7 | 39-95 | 41.1% | 71 | 18 | | 12/27/2014 | @ GOLDEN STATE | 97-110 | L | 18.5 | W | 216.5 | U | 34-77 | 44.2% | 58 | 24 | 41-88 | 46.6% | 51 | 16 | | 12/30/2014 | @ UTAH | 94-100 | L | 7 | W | 202.5 | U | 38-82 | 46.3% | 39 | 10 | 38-79 | 48.1% | 55 | 13 | | 1/1/2015 | SACRAMENTO | 107-110 | L | 4.5 | W | 211.5 | O | 42-91 | 46.2% | 45 | 14 | 40-74 | 54.1% | 48 | 20 | | 1/3/2015 | UTAH | 89-101 | L | -1.5 | L | 198.5 | U | 34-86 | 39.5% | 44 | 8 | 38-75 | 50.7% | 55 | 12 | | 1/5/2015 | DENVER | 101-110 | L | 5 | L | 210.5 | O | 38-89 | 42.7% | 49 | 12 | 46-84 | 54.8% | 48 | 12 | | 1/7/2015 | PHOENIX | 111-113 | L | 8 | W | 216 | O | 44-92 | 47.8% | 55 | 19 | 46-96 | 47.9% | 49 | 13 | | 1/9/2015 | @ MILWAUKEE | 84-98 | L | 9.5 | L | 203.5 | U | 32-79 | 40.5% | 46 | 19 | 39-75 | 52.0% | 42 | 22 | | 1/10/2015 | SAN ANTONIO | 93-108 | L | 10 | L | 199.5 | O | 32-81 | 39.5% | 45 | 13 | 41-84 | 48.8% | 50 | 11 | | 1/13/2015 | @ INDIANA | 110-101 | W | 11 | W | 196 | O | 41-87 | 47.1% | 43 | 15 | 39-80 | 48.7% | 57 | 17 | | 1/16/2015 | @ PHOENIX | 99-110 | L | 14 | W | 216.5 | U | 42-91 | 46.2% | 46 | 10 | 48-87 | 55.2% | 49 | 16 | | 1/17/2015 | @ DENVER | 113-105 | W | 11.5 | W | 212 | O | 43-80 | 53.7% | 50 | 15 | 38-92 | 41.3% | 46 | 10 | | 1/19/2015 | @ CHARLOTTE | 80-105 | L | 6.5 | L | 192.5 | U | 29-80 | 36.2% | 49 | 16 | 40-89 | 44.9% | 61 | 10 | | 1/21/2015 | DALLAS | 75-98 | L | 9.5 | L | 214 | U | 31-89 | 34.8% | 55 | 10 | 39-76 | 51.3% | 49 | 10 | | 1/23/2015 | NEW ORLEANS | 84-92 | L | 6.5 | L | 196 | U | 35-84 | 41.7% | 53 | 13 | 40-80 | 50.0% | 46 | 13 | | 1/25/2015 | @ ATLANTA | 100-112 | L | 17.5 | W | 200.5 | O | 37-71 | 52.1% | 43 | 13 | 45-80 | 56.2% | 37 | 10 | | 1/26/2015 | @ OKLAHOMA CITY | 84-92 | L | 13 | W | 206.5 | U | 29-85 | 34.1% | 61 | 13 | 36-86 | 41.9% | 61 | 15 | | 1/28/2015 | BOSTON | 110-98 | W | 4 | W | 199 | O | 38-77 | 49.4% | 52 | 11 | 42-91 | 46.2% | 42 | 13 | | 1/30/2015 | @ PHILADELPHIA | 94-103 | L | -4 | L | 193 | O | 34-76 | 44.7% | 47 | 21 | 37-74 | 50.0% | 40 | 14 | | 1/31/2015 | CLEVELAND | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2/2/2015 | @ DALLAS | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2/4/2015 | MIAMI | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2/6/2015 | MEMPHIS | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2/8/2015 | @ DETROIT | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2/9/2015 | ATLANTA | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2/11/2015 | GOLDEN STATE | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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| |  | CLEVELAND: GUARDS: KYRIE IRVING will play off the ball more. With defenses keying on LeBron James, Irving should become a more efficient scorer . . . DION WAITERS will start for the Cavaliers at shooting guard. He shows flashes of brilliance on offense, but like Irving, doesn't play defense . . . MIKE MILLER reunites with James as a part-time floor spacer . . . JOE HARRIS' deep shooting makes him a possible long-term replacement for Miller. FORWARDS: LeBRON JAMES is the MVP favorite. He'll fill up the stat sheet while having these Cavaliers in a position to win every single night . . . KEVIN LOVE is one of the game's premier power forwards. He should have plenty of open looks this season, as he plays off of James. He'll also rack up rebounds . . . TRISTAN THOMPSON's switch from shooting left-handed to righty last season went well. He's a solid two-way player who should see time at center as well . . . SHAWN MARION will be a swiss-army knife off the bench for the Cavs. He can do a little bit of everything and will allow James to get a little rest this season. . . JAMES JONES followed James to Cleveland. He'll see minutes in a handful of games as a three-point specialist. CENTERS: ANDERSON VAREJAO stayed relatively healthy last season, and the Cavs will need him considering their thin rotation up front. He never developed much of an offensive game, but his energy, defense and rebounding fit well alongside Thompson and James. Because of this important information, no power rating or computer score edges are posted for this game. |  | MINNESOTA: GUARDS: RICKY RUBIO is a fine ball-handler and creative passer, but it would be nice if he knocked down some shots . . . The Wolves are still trying to move KEVIN MARTIN's contract. He has devolved into more of a spot-up shooter . . . ANDREW WIGGINS should immediately contribute for this team. He'll be an elite defender, sooner rather than later, and should be able to produce points as well . . . Shoot-first combo guard MO WILLIAMS will head up the second unit . . . J.J. BAREA is also likely to be moved. He can still do the Mighty Mouse, sixth-man thing . . . On paper, CHASE BUDINGER is a great fit alongside Rubio due to his shooting and movement off the ball. He has to stay healthy though . . . Head coach Flip Saunders is high on ZACH LaVINE, a pure athlete who didn't do much of anything as a freshman at UCLA. FORWARDS: THADDEUS YOUNG is now the best player in this Timberwolves frontcourt. He'll lead the team in scoring and eats up rebounds as well . . . ANTHONY BENNETT should play some significant minutes with this team. He's a good scorer and will try to prove that he was just not ready to come into a bad situation last season . . . COREY BREWER has established himself as a solid defender on the wing who can knock down some threes and run the floor well . . . GLENN ROBINSON III should earn immediate minutes due to his defense . . . SHABAZZ MUHAMMAD gets new life with a new coaching regime coming in. He could be a crafty second-unit scorer . . . RONNY TURIAF is a big body who can protect the rim. CENTERS: NIKOLA PEKOVIC is a big part of this offense without needing plays designed for him. He's arguably the top offensive rebounder in the NBA . . . GORGUI DIENG impressed late last season and should be ready for a bigger role. He and Pekovic might be in a timeshare by the season's second half. |
| | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PA SPORTSTICKER PRO BASKETBALL PREVIEW (CLEVELAND-MINNESOTA) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Cavaliers-Timberwolves Preview* ================================
Cleveland (27-20) at Minnesota (8-37), 8:00 p.m. EDT
(AP) - In six seasons in Minnesota, Kevin Love witnessed how warmly the fans greeted former Timberwolves star Kevin Garnett each time he came back to town.
On the eve of Love's first game back at Target Center since he was traded to Cleveland last summer, the second-best player in franchise history isn't expecting the same kind of reception.
"Truthfully? Boooo," Love said Friday when asked by Cleveland reporters about what kind of environment he expected on Saturday night in Minnesota. "Probably more of that than a mix of cheers."
Those boos may have more venom given the Cavaliers are playing their best basketball of the season with a current nine-game win streak that exceeds the NBA-worst Wolves' win total for the season (8).
"Nobody wants to be last," Nikola Pekovic said after Minnesota's 103-94 loss to Philadelphia on Friday. "Everybody wants to win games. I think that's why you play sports because you want to win. You can work in an office and have a regular job and go finish your paperwork and go home. You don't have to win anything. We like to compete. We're born competitors. I still believe in this team and have lots of pride to show."
Love came to Minnesota in a draft-night trade in 2008, and eventually supplanted Garnett as the face of the franchise. With a strong work ethic, he turned himself into a three-time All-Star and an Olympic gold medalist. He interacted with fans who had jumped off the bandwagon when Garnett was traded.
But unlike Garnett, who took the Timberwolves to the playoffs eight times and was named MVP in 2004 while leading them to the Western Conference finals, Love never made it to the postseason.
Management consistently failed to surround Love with enough talent to compete in the powerful West. Blunders were committed in the draft (Jonny Flynn over Steph Curry in 2009, Wes Johnson over DeMarcus Cousins in 2010), in trades and free agency (Michael Beasley, Darko Milicic, J.J. Barea) and with coaches (Randy Wittman, Kurt Rambis) and general managers (David Kahn).
All of those failures, coupled with injuries to Ricky Rubio and Love, contributed to 323 losses in Love's six seasons with the Wolves.
"I think it could've gone better with what we had if we had been a little bit luckier (with injuries)," Wolves owner Glen Taylor said. "There's a lot of things. Maybe if we drafted better and did some things, but we did what we did. It isn't Kevin's fault. Maybe we shouldn't have made some decisions we made. I don't know what to say about that. I wish we would've done better."
While Love deserves credit for transforming himself from a doughy UCLA freshman to a sculpted offensive force in the NBA, he also carries some responsibility for the Wolves' failures.
The relationship soured in 2012, when Kahn refused to give Love a five-year maximum contract extension. Love signed a four-year deal with an opt-out after three seasons and didn't hide his disappointment.
He carried the grudge for the next 2 1/2 seasons, turning from a funny, engaging public personality into a sullen figure on the court and in the locker room. Love requested a trade at the end of last season and a tour of Boston early in the summer didn't sit well with fans back in Minnesota.
"Minnesota people are pretty loyal. You turn on Minnesota, they don't forgive you," president and coach Flip Saunders said in December. "So I think people probably appreciated him while he was here. But you leave under the terms that he did, just the way Minnesota people are, they're not pretty forgiving along those lines."
The Cavaliers (28-20) sent No. 1 overall draft pick Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett to Minnesota in a three-team deal that also netted the Wolves Thaddeus Young to get Love. The Wolves (8-38) again are plagued by injuries, but Wiggins' development has them hopeful they have found a dynamic, two-way player to team with Rubio.
"We needed a player that we get to the end of the game and we give him the ball and the other team says, 'Holy cow, he's going to be hard to stop because we don't know what he's going to do,"' Taylor said. "We just haven't had that guy. Kevin Love ... he couldn't do that by himself and the other team could guard it pretty well at the end of the game because they knew what he was going to do."
Love has gone through expected adjustments in his first year on a team with championship aspirations. He is the third option behind LeBron James and Kyrie Irving and failed to make the All-Star team as his numbers have taken a sizable dip.
But he primed himself for this game well, totaling 23 points and 10 rebounds as Cleveland beat Sacramento 101-90 on Friday night and is enjoying its longest win streak since a 13-game run from Jan. 16-Feb. 11, 2010.
"I'm sure once I get there, it will be a little different feeling for me," Love said. "Obviously playing on the visitor's side, going into the visitor's locker room, going to the different bench. But I haven't really given it too much thought, and luckily we're on a winning streak right now, so that's really what's first and foremost."
James returned after a one-game absence due to a sprained right wrist and had 19 points in 33 minutes and admitted his wrist isn't 100 percent yet.
Friday's loss denied Minnesota back-to-back wins for the first time this season. Kevin Martin scored 19 points and Wiggins added 15 for the Wolves, who are 4-18 at home.
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| | Last Updated: 4/19/2024 10:45:29 PM EST. |
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