MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota Timberwolves’ Kevin Love returned to practice on Saturday in what was yet another test to determine whether he'll be able to take the court for the team's two final games.
After missing six games with a concussion, including the one in Denver in which he sustained the injury and exited in the first quarter, Love will likely be a game-time decision before Sunday's game against Golden State. Though he believed he'd finished the battery of NBA-mandated tests and passed "with flying colors," Love in reality has one more neurological test to pass before he's cleared. The results of that test will first be sent to the Timberwolves' team doctors and then forwarded to the league's doctors for final clearance.
Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman said Saturday afternoon that he still had no idea if Love would be able to play Sunday. Love did participate in a full practice Saturday, and though the workout wasn't too strenuous, Adelman said that the All-Star power forward looked fine.
"I'm just waiting to see what he says and the doctors say, and then we'll make that decision," Adelman said of Love's chances for action Sunday.
For his part, Love said he's feeling much better, a long way from the headaches and upset stomach that plagued him for much of the week. He's discussed his progress with Timberwolves medical director Dr. Sheldon Burns and head trainer Greg Farnam. Love’s primary goal is to get back into shape after missing more than a week of activity now that the effects of his first major head injury have subsided.
"I've taken shots to the head with elbows and fists, and I've got some scrappy hits put on me before," Love said. "But that was right to the temple, and it's such a weird thing because day after day you don't feel right."
With his status for Sunday's game still uncertain, Love seemed unsure whether he'll be able to take the court. If he misses the game against Golden State, only Thursday's matchup against Denver will remain, and Love paused audibly before discussing whether returning for just one game would be worth it.
"You know, I'm not really sure," he said. "We'll just have to see what happens tomorrow and just kind of go from there."
But regardless, Love will be on the bench Sunday and Thursday, looking far younger without the beard he'd cultivated all season — or the surprisingly bushy mustache he revealed on Twitter on Thursday. Love is proud of how his team has been fighting, and even if he's not able to join its effort in the final games of 2012, his presence on the bench will not go unnoticed.
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