National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Minnesota 117, Denver 100
When: 3:30 PM ET, Sunday, March 25, 2012
Where: Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Officials: #73 Tre Maddox, #22 Bill Spooner, #65 Sean Wright
Attendance: 20023

TIMBERWOLVES 117, NUGGETS 100: Kevin Love scored 30 points and tied a season high with 21 rebounds as host Minnesota beat Denver on its home court for the first time in more than five years.

Luke Ridnour scored 12 of his season high-tying 25 points in the first quarter as the Timberwolves took control from the outset and won for only the second time in 19 meetings with the Nuggets.

Coming off a franchise-record 51-point performance in Friday's double-overtime loss at Oklahoma City, Love registered his seventh straight double-double.

The Timberwolves snapped an eight-game home skid to Denver, last beating the Nuggets in Minnesota on Feb. 14, 2007.

Ridnour triggered a 19-2 first-quarter spurt as Minnesota turned a six-point deficit into an 11-point lead. The Timberwolves scored the first 11 points of the second quarter to push the lead to 44-20 and the rout was on.

Kenneth Faried scored 17 points and Ty Lawson added 14 for the Nuggets, who started the day in a three-way tie for sixth place in the Western Conference.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Nuggets G Arron Afflalo sat out the game while serving a one-game suspension for elbowing's Utah's Gordon Hayward in the head in Friday's game. ... Minnesota starting center Nikola Pekovic, the team's second-leading scorer and rebounder, sat out his third straight game with bone spurs in his ankle. He is expected to be sidelined for the next two games. ... The Nuggets have allowed an average of 116.3 points in their last four games.
Top Game Performances
 
Denver   Minnesota
Kenneth Faried 17 Scoring Kevin Love 30
Wilson Chandler 5 Assists Luke Ridnour 6
JaVale McGee 11 Rebounds Kevin Love 21
Al Harrington 3 Free Throws Made Kevin Love 7
Corey Brewer 1 Steals Kevin Love 2
JaVale McGee 2 Blocks Kevin Love 3
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Denver 100 50.6 3-15 15-22 19 42 3 4 17
Minnesota 117 45.5 12-35 15-15 25 42 5 6 9
Upcoming Games
  • Minnesota will play their next game on the road against Memphis. The Timberwolves have a W/L % of .000 after a win and .000 after a loss.
  • Denver will play their next game on the road against Chicago. The Nuggets have a W/L % of .000 after a win and .000 after a loss.