T-wolves' Love showing signs of wearing down

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love is showing the physical wear from averaging a league-high 40 minutes a game and perhaps feeling the mental drag from the team’s falling out of playoff contention as key players suffered injuries, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported.

According to the newspaper, with injuries to Ricky Rubio, Michael Beasley, Luke Ridnour, J.J. Barea and Nikola Pekovic, Love has had to carry more and more of the load.

"I don't want to use that as an excuse," Love said of his missing supporting cast. "But I can feel that in my body and my legs, especially on my shot. They're not under me right now. With that said, that's not an excuse.

"I think everybody's tired at this point," he continued. "We need to go back to our basics. The farther the season has gone on, the worse we've gotten on defense. It's supposed to go the other way."

Against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, Love played 42 minutes, 30 seconds, scored 29 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. But there was virtually no defense in his game, according to the Pioneer Press, and with the game hanging in the balance, Love missed the key shot in the final seconds of a 97-94 home loss.

Has there been a letdown since the Timberwolves’ fell out of playoff contention?

"A letdown is when you lose three or four of your best players and have to play undermanned," Love told the Pioneer Press. "That was a letdown for me. Tonight I missed that shot. It's tough to try and play Superman every night."

But, the newspaper noted, he was Superman in March, averaging 30.7 points and 13.9 rebounds per game. And despite his fatigue Love says putting together wins down the stretch would have a springboard effect into next season.

"We want to get as many wins as possible,” he said. “Set a good foundation for what's to come in the next five or 10 years or however long.”