30 Greatest Moments In Timberwolves History
By Ben Beecken
#7 – Kevin Love Scores 30 Points, Grabs 30 Boards.
Kevin Love wasn’t exactly a nobody in the fall of 2010. Far from it, in fact.
He was the fifth-overall pick in the 2008 draft after leading UCLA to the Final Four. People knew who he was, though they may have begun to forget. Over his first two seasons as a pro, Love only averaged 26.7 minutes per game, putting up 12.3 points and 9.9 rebounds per contest. Head coach Kurt Rambis wasn’t even letting him play crunch time minutes early in his third season.
That all changed when the Timberwolves hosted the New York Knicks in mid-November. Love put up the first 30-point, 30-rebound game in the NBA in 28 years, and did one better in each category, managing 31 and 31.
It was a true coming out party, catapulting his popularity and forcing Rambis’ hand, eventually culminating in a surprise All-Star nomination as an injury replacement. Love was only 22 years old at the time, and this monster game caused his star to shine brightly on a national stage.
Not to mention it being an incredible and historic feat, of course.
Next: #6 - The Minnesota Timberwolves Are Born