Kevin Love gets it — team losses bigger than double-double streak

Make no mistake — Kevin Love’s streak of 51 consecutive double-doubles is impressive. It shows not only desire and some skills, it shows a guy bringing it every night. In today’s NBA that is something that deserves some recognition.

But the streak has not led to wins. The Timberwolves are 11-40 in those 51 games, 2-8 in their last 10 including a loss to Dallas Monday night.

Without a result, the double-double streak is just numbers. Impressive numbers, but a little bit hollow. Kevin Love gets that, as he told the Star Tribune after the game.

“I would be jumping for joy and ecstatic right now if we were winning and everybody was playing great, including myself,” a dejected Love said after the Mavericks’ 108-105 victory. “The streak is kind of an afterthought because we didn’t win the game.”

And here’s Love on the crowd giving him a standing ovation for the feat:

“That was one of those moments where you pinch yourself to see if it’s real,” Love said. “It felt great to see the crowd on their feet like that. I can’t imagine what it’s going to be like in here when we start winning and turn the corner.”

Those quotes give me hope for the future of Kevin Love. He brings a mature game and he brings it every night (or he wouldn’t have that record). But he wants to win more, and that speaks to the fact some day he’s going to be on a team where that happens.