Impressive first-quarter scoring is a key reason why the Minnesota Timberwolves are off to their best start in 12 years.
Kevin Love is another.
Love and the Timberwolves look to get off to another strong start as
they go for a fourth straight win Monday night against the Cleveland
Cavaliers.
Minnesota (3-0) is off to its
best start since winning the first six games of 2001-02, and another
productive first quarter could help move them closer to that franchise
record.
The Timberwolves are averaging a
league-best 37.3 points while hitting 55.2 percent from the floor - 8 of
16 from beyond the arc - in the opening quarter through the first three
games. They got off to their best start yet Sunday, sinking 14 of 21
field goals to score 40 points in the opening period of a 109-100
victory at New York.
"This is such a fun
team to play on," said guard Kevin Martin, who had a season-high 30
points while making all five 3-pointers. "Nobody is trying to lead the
league in scoring here. Everybody has the big picture of getting to the
playoffs."
A healthy Love would surely
help after he was limited to 18 games last season due to various
injuries, including a twice-broken right hand.
The All-Star forward seems to have put those injuries behind him,
averaging 29.7 points and 14.7 rebounds while making 50.0 percent from
the floor - 8 for 21 from 3-point range - this season.
He had a season-high 34 points, 15 boards and five assists against the Knicks.
"We don't want to get too far ahead of ourselves because of the
injuries," Love said. "So don't want to live in the past, don't want to
live too far in the future, we just want to try to plan for Cleveland."
Love had 36 points and 13 rebounds in a 91-73 home win over the
Cavaliers on Dec. 7. Minnesota completed the season sweep without him
Feb. 11, winning 100-92 at Cleveland behind Ricky Rubio's 13 points, 10
assists and five steals.
The point guard,
though, is coming off his worst performance of the season, making 3 of
11 from the field to finish with eight points and 10 assists.
The Cavaliers (1-2) hope to avoid a third straight loss after a season-opening 98-94 home win over Brooklyn.
They turned in their worst offensive performance of the season
Saturday, shooting 34.9 percent from the floor - including 3 of 15 from
long range - in an 89-74 loss at Indiana.
Still, coach Mike Brown came away feeling positive.
"As crazy as this sounds, I thought (Saturday) was our best offensive
night, from the standpoint that the ball moved and bodies moved," he
said. "Just watching the game, I thought we tried to play with some
flow.
"I thought we tried to move the basketball. We had weak-side shots open. We had more of those than any other time."
Like the Cavs, Kyrie Irving is off to a slow start, averaging 15.3
points and 7.0 assists. The point guard averaged 22.5 points and 5.9
assists last season, and was a first-time All-Star.
Irving had 20 points and seven assists against the Timberwolves on
Feb. 11, while Dion Waiters made all six of his shots to finish with 12
points.
Minnesota has won four of five against Cleveland after a nine-game losing streak in the series.
