Wolves record: 24-56
The Wolves tied a season low for points in a quarter with just eight in the first period. They shot 14 percent (3-for-21) and didn’t make a field goal in the last 7:25 of the period despite playing against one of the NBA’s worst defensive teams.
Phoenix led 31-8 after one and Minnesota never got closer than 12 points the rest of the way in the kind of performance that could push the old-school McHale into retirement at the end of the season.
“I’m not thinking down the road, I’m just thinking of how disgusted I was to watch that game,” McHale said. “You feel bad for your fans. To come out on a Saturday evening and that’s what you watch, there’s no excuse for that.”
It took more than a quarter, but Love’s second rebound of the night broke the team rookie record of 708, set by Christian Laettner in 1992-93.
That was small consolation, however, on a night when Love had just five points and six rebounds while playing 20 minutes.
“It felt good,” he said of the record, “but I would have much rather had a ‘W’ and played well.”
Love’s six rebounds gave him 713 this season.
He is one double-double short of matching Laettner’s team rookie mark of 28.
Kevin Ollie joins the injury parade tonight. He will sit this one out with a hip ailment. Randy Foye also will not play because of his lingering hip issues. And of course, no Al Jefferson or Corey Brewer.
Hill, despite just 23 minutes on the court, scored a team-high 19 points on 7-of-8 shooting. Eleven of those points and three of those buckets came in the first quarter, meaning he outscored the entire Wolves’ team and made as many shots.