Timberwolves forward Kevin Love's return is near, perhaps as soon as Friday in New Orleans. Wolves coach Kurt Rambis said Love could see his first regular-season action this season with "some short minutes" that night if Love's New York City specialist on Thursday approves of a new X-ray taken of his fractured left hand. If he does play Friday, it will be in the same arena where teammate Al Jefferson injured his knee the last time the Wolves visited last February. Whenever he returns -- Friday in New Orleans, Saturday at home against Utah, Tuesday in Toronto or beyond -- Love expects to wear a fingerless glove that is padded to protect the back of his left hand. He said it's the same kind of glove Minnesota Vikings linemen wear.
"I got my tap-out glove from Brock," Love said, referring to Ultimate Fighting Championship star and former Minnesota Golden Gopher wrestler Brock Lesnar. "He has hands that hurt. My hands rebound."
Love said, "I can dribble, I can shoot," with the glove. The only drawback, he said, is the glove is slippery until he sweats enough to make it tacky.
"I can always use it as an excuse for my inconsistent jump shot when I come back," Love said.
Love has participated in three contact practices this week. He'll have one more Thursday before the Wolves play back-to-back games Friday and Saturday. Rambis said the biggest issue will be getting Love back into game condition.
"New Orleans is a little too soon, Saturday is possible, the other game after that is possible, too," Love said. "I'm not going to rush anything. I feel pretty good out there, as far as conditioning. I want to be able to come back and help the team. I don't just want to come back and play a few minutes. I want to be able to help."
GRIZZLIES 97, TIMBERWOLVES 95: The Wolves now have won twice in 18 games this season, and not consecutively. Not after Wednesday's loss to a tired Memphis team ending a five-game trip.
The Wolves on Sunday ended a 15-game losing streak by stunning the Nuggets with a 30-12 third quarter and a second-half comeback in Denver, where the home team hadn't lost since March.
On Wednesday, the Wolves led 7-0 and 19-8 early and still had an eight-point advantage at halftime before the Grizzlies produced a 30-18 third quarter that stood up when the Wolves couldn't score in the game's final 99 seconds. Rudy Gay and Mike Conley each scored 20 points -- Zach Randolph did, too -- after neither played in Monday's 27-point loss at Utah. Gay missed that one because of a personal matter, Conley was out with a strained shoulder.
The Wolves went cold down the stretch. Ramon Sessions had a chance to tie the game when he got to the free-throw line with 1.8 seconds left. But his first attempt was short. He missed the second intentionally, but the Wolves couldn't gather the ball in time for one final winning attempt.
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