Love’s triple-double lifts Timberwolves over Jazz

Minnesota Timberwolves’ Kevin Love (42) is fouled by Utah Jazz’s Jeremy Evans (40) in the second half of an NBA basketball game Saturday Feb. 22, 2014, in Salt Lake City. The Timberwolves won 121-104. AP

SALT LAKE CITY – Kevin Love posted the first triple-double of his career on Saturday, scoring 37 points with 12 rebounds and 10 assists to lead Minnesota to a 121-104 NBA victory over Utah.

Love made six of his 10 attempts from three-point range as he followed up a 42-point, 16-rebound performance in a win against Indiana on Wednesday.

Ricky Rubio added 15 points and seven assists, and Chase Budinger and Corey Brewer scored 13 apiece for the Timberwolves, who notched their third straight victory.

Enes Kanter led Utah with a career-high 25 points, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the Jazz from enduring a third straight defeat.

A 10-2 scoring run in the first quarter lifted Minnesota to a lead they never relinquished. Love’s jumper capped the rally for a 14-9 lead midway through the period.

Utah managed to pull even three times in the second quarter, but the Timberwolves took the lead for good on Rubio’s layup with 3:32 remaining in the first half.

The visitors took a 59-49 lead into halftime.

Love scored 22 of Minnesota’s 35 third-quarter points. He connected on five of seven from three-point range in the period as the Jazz missed all five of their attempts from beyond the arc.

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