Kevin Love has made double-doubles automatic. He’s taken the drama out of getting them.
So he added a little drama himself Wednesday by almost not playing due to a sore knee (he banged knees with an opponent last game and it swelled up), then playing with a balky brace on it.
Didn’t matter.
He got his record 52nd consecutive double-double fast (in the middle of the second quarter with a free throw) as his Timberwolves were blowing out the Indiana Pacers. That moved him past Moses Malone into first on the modern list, since the NBA/ABA merger.
According to the Associated Press Love became the ninth player to ever (pre- or post-merger) to have 50 or more double-doubles in a row. The others are Malone, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor, Walt Bellamy, Wilt Chamberlain, Elvin Hayes, Jerry Lucas and Bill Russell. Chamberlain holds the all-time record of 224.
That’s not to diminish Love’s accomplishments. He has been consistent and worked hard on a team that needed this kind of production. He has had chances because the Wolves are so bad — they are now 12-40 during the streak — but he took advantage of it.