Funkerstation » their veteran defencemen; getting Alex Edle

MINNEAPOLIS -- Kevin Love landed hard on his hip after a foul late in the game. His head snapped back from the impact and hit the floor. The All-Star power forward was all right afterward, a relief for the Minnesota Timberwolves. The win over the languishing Los Angeles Lakers was nice, too. Love had 31 points and 17 rebounds to lead the Timberwolves to 109-99 victory on Tuesday that spoiled Steve Nashs return and stuck the Lakers with their seventh straight defeat. "I just want to continue to keep playing and give this team all that I can," Love said. "Yeah, Ive taken a physical beating, but youve got to expect being one of the top guys that theyre going to come at you." Kevin Martin helped the Timberwolves get off to a fast start, scoring 14 of his season-high-tying 32 points in the opening 10 minutes as the NBAs highest-scoring first-quarter team surged to a 25-point lead midway through the second period. They stumbled some after halftime, letting the Lakers pull within seven points early in the fourth quarter. "Its just one of those things where the game isnt going to be as easy as you think," coach Rick Adelman said. "You just have to persevere." With Nikola Pekovic likely out through the All-Star break, the Wolves started a difficult week, a theme of Adelmans pregame message. They play at Oklahoma City on Wednesday and New Orleans on Friday before hosting Portland on Saturday, a crucial stretch for a team running out of time to climb back into the playoff picture. But Love picked up the Wolves and carried them to an important win, playing the part of the burly Pekovic by throwing his body at the basket as often as he could. He made it to the line for 18 free throws, making 13. "We realize how good he is. He has incredible toughness," Martin said, adding: "He gets dirty down there. Thats why we pay him the big bucks and thats why hes an All-Star starter, to do things like that." Nash had been sidelined since Nov. 10 because of nerve problems in his back. The soon-to-be-40-year-old two-time league MVP had seven points and nine assists in 25 minutes, about 10 more than he was supposed to play. "I feel a bit selfish in that we lost but it felt great just to play in the NBA again," Nash said, smiling. "Obviously the game didnt go as we hoped, but for me personally thats pretty cool to be back out there." Coach Mike DAntoni was pleased. "I thought he competed, and weve got to have everybody compete that way," DAntoni said. Steve Blake also returned, coming back from a torn ligament in his right elbow that had shelved him since Dec. 10. He ruptured his eardrum during the game but kept playing on another night of bad luck and bad defence for the fallen franchise. Blake was scoreless in 31 minutes and took only two shots. Fittingly, as soon as two guys came back, two more went out. Jodie Meeks (sprained right ankle, first quarter) and backup Jordan Hill (headache and neck strain, first quarter) were hurt for the Lakers, who have been without star Kobe Bryant for most of the season. Pau Gasol also sat out with a strained right groin and could be out until after the All-Star break. DAntoni said Meeks wont play the rest of the road trip at Cleveland on Wednesday or at Philadelphia on Friday. Hill was walking stiffly in the locker room after the game but was held out as a precaution, the coach said. "I just feel for those guys. I just was in their position," Blake said. "Unfortunately its a part of the game, and the rest of us have to pick it up." The Lakers reserves had a whopping 70 points, with Nick Young (24 points), Manny Harris (17 points) and former Timberwolves first-round draft pick Wes Johnson (15 points and nine rebounds) leading the way. But the Lakers still lost for the 19th time in their last 22 games and fell into a tie for last place in the Western Conference with Utah and Sacramento. This was also their first loss at Target Center in almost seven years, ending an 11-game run. NOTES: This was the league-high seventh time this season that Love had at least 30 points and 15 rebounds. He has 25 for his career, one more than Kevin Garnett on the franchises career list. ... The Lakers have allowed 100-plus points in 15 straight games, their longest such streak since 17 in a row during the 1986-87 season. Donovan Mitchell Jersey . At times during a solid but not spectacular season, they looked all three. Still the defending AFC champions persevered, riding their top-ranked defence and key contributions from younger players to a 12-4 record and their eighth playoff appearance since 2000, remarkable consistency in a league where change is the only constant. Adrian Dantley Jersey . According to a release sent by the league, the Saskatchewan Roughriders were the only team to exceed the cap. Their total salary expenditure of $4,417,975 was $17,975 over the salary cap of $4. http://www.jazzauthentic.com/kids-karl-m...azz-jersey/.com) - Nathan MacKinnon scored the winning goal in the shootout as the Colorado Avalanche rallied for a 3-2 win over the Boston Bruins on Wednesday. Adrian Dantley Jazz Jersey .com) - John Wall supplied 24 points and 11 assists in leading the Washington Wizards to a 102-91 win over the New York Knicks on Christmas Day. Tony Bradley Jazz Jersey . Funny, they looked like longtime friends during Pittsburghs 5-1 demolition of Dallas on Tuesday night. Quick to the puck and even quicker to the net, the Penguins top line overwhelmed the suddenly struggling Stars as Pittsburgh bounced back from a dismal weekend sweep at the hands of Philadelphia by jumping on Dallas early.TSN Hockey Insiders Bob McKenzie and Darren Dreger have the latest on why the New York Rangers may trade Ryan Callahan, Thomas Vaneks future after the winger rejected a long-term extension from the New York Islanders, and if the Raphael Diaz trade means another Vancouver Canucks defenceman is on the way out. Ryan Callahan trade talks caught a lot of people off guard. Details are now emerging about why the Rangers would consider such a move. Darren Dreger: He wants a lot of money. Its been widely reported that Callahan is looking for a seven-year term around $6 million per year. That is not accurate. Im told that it is more than $6.5 million but less than $7 million per year on a seven-year term. Whether its $6 million per year or, as we know now, closer to $7 million, thats a lot of money; too much for the Rangers. Theres not a lot of wiggle room in this negotiation and thats why Glen Sather is considering and working towards moving his captain. It seems like a pressing issue. What are the chances Callahan gets either signed or traded before this Fridays Olympic roster freeze? Dreger: 50/50. I know thats an easy guess to make but I would say its more unlikely to get done because there is a willingness to push this as far as you can. But in the meantime the Rangers also need to get as much in return as possible for Callahan. The Chris Stewart deal with the St. Louis Blues is still there; Stewart would be a part of that. The Rangers also have to pay attention to whats going on with Dan Girardi. If he doesnt come to terms this week with the Rangers and avoid potential of unrestricted free agency, perhaps that sends a message to Sather that hes going to unrestricted free agency and he then joins Callahan in the trade speculation. Sounds more and more like New York Islanders forward Thomas Vanek wants to be an unrestricted free agent this summer. What does that mean for potential deals? Bob McKenzie: Youre right. News broke on Monday morning that Vanek rejected a verbal offer ffrom the Islanders; a lucrative, long-term deal.dddddddddddd The implication of course being that now hes going to get unrestricted free agency. He wants to at least test the market and see whats out there. So the Islanders are looking at trade scenarios for Vanek between now and the March 5 trade deadline. GM Garth Snow will continue to try and sign Vanek; try and sweeten the pot and push to get something done, but by the same token, hes on a track where hes talking to teams and finding out what hes going to get. The Los Angeles Kings and Pittsburgh Penguins are amongst those teams that would be interested in getting a scoring winger, a rental at the deadline. Pittsburgh has some cap issues, but Vaneks exactly what the doctors ordered for a lot of contending teams. Vancouver gets another defenceman in the Raphael Diaz for Dale Weise trade but isnt that an overabundance? Does this lead us to believe the Canucks will deal a defenceman at some point? McKenzie: Everybody assumes that this is the precursor to moving one of their veteran defencemen; getting Alex Edler to waive his no-trade clause or what have you. I dont believe theres any relation to the Diaz trade and making another move. Right now you have Kevin Bieksa, Chris Tanev, and Yannick Weber all battling injury. In my opinion, getting Diaz is nothing more than taking a fourth-line grinder with limited ability in Weise, and sending him to the Canadiens for a puck-moving defenceman who had fallen out of favour. I think this is about the here and now. Thats not to say the Canucks wont make a trade down the road, but I think this move is self-explanatory. David Legwand is a lifelong Nashville Predator with 951 career games, might he move? McKenzie: The Predators are shopping Legwand hard. The price is expected to be a first- or second-round pick but keep in mind he has a full no-move clause and he will decide whether or not he wants to be a rental or whether he wants to play out the string with Nashville. ' ' '