Rookie Love scores 18 in Timberwolves debut
UCLA product grabs game-high 13 rebounds in summer league action
 Laura Rauch / AP Minnesota's Kevin Love goes to the basket against James Singleton of Dallas on Monday in Las Vegas. Love, a rookie, had 18 points and 13 rebounds in his summer league debut. |
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LAS VEGAS - Kevin Love had 18 points and a game-high 13 rebounds Monday night in his debut for the Minnesota Timberwolves at the NBA Summer League.
Love’s team was routed by the Dallas Mavericks, 90-74.
The fifth overall selection in last month’s draft, Love started slowly and committed four fouls — the same number of points he scored — in the first quarter before settling in.
“I had to get the jitters out,” Love said. “I was shaking out there a little bit because it hadn’t sunk in that I was a NBA player.”
Love finished strongly with 10 second-half points and was the aggressor inside. He had five offensive rebounds and committed only two more fouls — summer league rules allow for 10 before disqualification.
Jerry Sichting, who is coaching Minnesota’s summer team, wasn’t concerned with Love’s slow start.
“We just didn’t get him the ball much early in the game,” Sichting said. “We didn’t have many set plays to get the ball inside to him. But he’ll do some good things for us. He’s a good player.”
The 6-foot-10 forward averaged 17.5 points and 10.6 rebounds per game last year in his lone season with UCLA to lead the Bruins to the Final Four. He was the Pac-10 Player of the Year.
“I never like losing. I’m not used to it,” Love said.
The Mavericks erased an early six-point deficit and went on a 27-4 run. They took a 33-14 advantage midway through the second quarter. JaJuan Smith had 19 points for Dallas, while Shan Foster added 17.
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