Timberwolves 91, Cavaliers 73: Kevin Love scored a season-high 36 points and Minnesota sent visiting Cleveland to its fourth consecutive loss.
Love also grabbed 13 rebounds for his eighth double-double in nine games since returning from a broken hand as the Timberwolves (9-9) moved back to the .500 mark.
Luke Ridnour added 12 points and seven assists and J.J. Barea had 10 points off the bench, including a pair of 3-pointers that helped Minnesota break it open in the fourth quarter.
Alonzo Gee scored 16 points and C.J. Miles added 13 for the shorthanded Cavaliers, who tumbled to their eighth defeat in nine games.
Cleveland cut a 13-point deficit to 69-63 early in the fourth quarter, but Barea connected twice from long range in a 16-4 burst to extend the lead to 85-67 with just over 3 1/2 minutes to play.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Cavaliers C Anderson Varejao had four points and 14 rebounds, snapping his streak of 10 straight double-doubles and 10 consecutive games with at least 15 boards. ... Timberwolves F Andrei Kirilenko was back in the starting lineup after sitting out the past four games with back spasms. He had eight points, seven rebounds, six assists, four steals and three blocks. ... Cavaliers G Dion Waiters, the team's second-leading scorer, missed his third straight game with a sprained left ankle.
Cleveland | Minnesota | |
Alonzo Gee 16 | Scoring | Kevin Love 36 |
Daniel Gibson 4 | Assists | Luke Ridnour 7 |
Anderson Varejao 14 | Rebounds | Kevin Love 13 |
Samardo Samuels 2 | Free Throws Made | Kevin Love 14 |
Daniel Gibson 4 | Steals | Andrei Kirilenko 4 |
Alonzo Gee 1 | Blocks | Andrei Kirilenko 3 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
Cleveland | 73 | 34.5 | 7-24 | 6-9 | 15 | 41 | 2 | 15 | 20 |
Minnesota | 91 | 42.9 | 4-19 | 27-35 | 18 | 53 | 8 | 13 | 21 |