MINNEAPOLIS — At one point in the third quarter, Kevin Love leaned over to Michael Beasley on the bench and whispered in his ear.
"I'm going for 30 tonight," Love said.
With Love having only seven points at the time, Beasley looked at him and said, "Thirty what?"
Incredibly, Love was talking about rebounds. But he didn't stop there.
Love grabbed a franchise-record 31 rebounds and scored 31 points, the NBA's first 30-30 game in 28 years, and the Minnesota Timberwolves rallied from a 21-point third-quarter deficit to stun the New York Knicks 112-103 on Friday night.
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"I just got a good mindset that every single one was mine," said Love, who had 23 points and 24 rebounds in a loss to the Lakers on Tuesday.
Love grabbed 15 boards in the third quarter alone to will the Timberwolves to victory. Moses Malone was the last player to do it with 38 points and 32 rebounds for Houston against Seattle in 1982.
"It seemed like no matter what anybody did I was going to go and get those rebounds. I don't know what to tell you," Love said sheepishly. "I impressed myself. I don't even know what to say to be honest with you."
Beasley had 35 points and six rebounds for the Wolves, who were carried to their second victory in a row by the two players who are being advertised as the building blocks of the latest rebuilding project.
"Thirty years from now I can say I was on the floor while history was being made," Beasley said. "It's great. And we got the win. Just an amazing thing to watch and be a part of."
Danilo Gallinari scored 25 points, but only seven in the second half for the Knicks, who lost their fourth consecutive game and had no answer for Love's dominance in the second half.
The Wolves trailed by 21 points early in third quarter when Love took over. He scored 11 points and grabbed 15 of Minnesota's 23 rebounds in the period.
"Kevin had an incredible game," coach Kurt Rambis said. "Those numbers are just stupid. I don't even know what to say."
