Minnesota 117, Milwaukee 79
MILWAUKEE, Oct. 6 (AP) - Rookie Kevin Love scored 16 points and Mike Miller added 12, lifting the Timberwolves to a 117-79 preseason victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night that made Minnesota's draft day trade look promising.
Al Jefferson chipped in 18 points and eight rebounds in 19 minutes, and the new-look Timberwolves may have acquired enough offensive threats to improve on last season's 22-60 mark.
Minnesota selected O.J. Mayo with the third overall pick, but dealt him to Memphis for Love, who was picked fifth, and Miller in an eight-player trade hours after the draft concluded.
Jefferson, who'll still provide the bulk of the scoring, dominated inside despite wearing a brace on his right knee to protect a sprained ligament that's limited him the last three weeks. The Bucks, without most of their regulars, couldn't contain the smooth jumpers by Miller or Love, either.
Timberwolves coach Randy Wittman kept pulling Love aside for a little extra advice on the defensive end. He didn't need any help on offense, knocking down a shot high off the glass and hitting a 3-pointer as Minnesota took a 60-37 halftime lead that reached 45 points in the second half.
Rashad McCants scored 22 points and Randy Foye 11 for Minnesota. Charlie Villanueva scored 14 points and
Milwaukee, which added Scott Skilles as coach and John Hammond as general manager, only kept seven players from last year's 26-56 team.
Center Andrew Bogut, who signed a five-year contract worth up to $72.5 million this offseason, was a late scratch with a migraine headache.
Luke Ridnour (right knee tendinitis), Tyronn Lue (strained groin), Charlie Bell (left heel) and first-round draft pick Joe Alexander (abdominal strain) also didn't play for Milwaukee. Forward, Richard Jefferson acquired in a draft day trade with New Jersey, left after scoring four points in eight minutes with a strained left quad muscle.
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