WASHINGTON – John Wall scored 18 points and had 11 rebounds to lead the Washington Wizards to a 103-96 win against the Minnesota Timberwolves Saturday night.
Kevin Love scored 20 points and had 21 rebounds for Minnesota, the third straight game with at least 20 points and 20 rebounds for the All-Star forward and his 11th of the season.
Andray Blatche scored 20 points and had seven rebounds for Washington, which snapped a seven-game losing streak. The Wizards have won their last seven games at home against the Timberwolves.
It was Love's 50th double-double in a row, one game shy of tying the mark set by Moses Malone in 1978-79. Love leads the NBA with 59 this season.
Maurice Evans scored 11 of his 15 points, and all three of his 3-pointers, in the fourth quarter for Washington. JaVale McGee added 14 points.
Michael Beasley scored 18 points, Wayne Ellington 15, Luke Ridnour 14 and Nikola Pekovic 13 as all of the Timberwolves' starters finished in double figures.
Washington's Trevor Booker scored seven points, six of them on dunks on three straight possessions — the second two on offensive rebounds — in a crucial 1½ minute span midway through the fourth quarter.
Love had put Minnesota up 85-84 before Booker's explosive outburst. On the first of the two putbacks Booker jumped from behind Love and grabbed the ball just before it reached Love's waiting hands before Booker slammed it home.
Booker's series put the Wizards ahead 90-85, and a few minutes later Washington extended the lead to 97-90 on Evan's 3-pointer, capping a 13-5 run.
The Timberwolves scored the next four points but Washington sealed the game when Love missed a shot inside with 55 seconds left and Wall answered with a layup with 39 seconds to go keep Washington ahead 99-94.
Notes: Wizards coach Flip Saunders was on the bench a day after the death of his mother, Kay, although he is expected to miss the team's game in Detroit on Sunday. "It's a way to maybe escape a little bit," he said of his coaching duties. "This is something she'd want me to do, come back and coach, and I'll leave (Sunday)." ... Washington was without G Nick Young (flu) and F Josh Howard (pulled left hamstring). Rookie Jordan Crawford got his first NBA start in Young's place. ... Minnesota G Wes Johnson (flulike symptons) missed his second straight game, C Darko Milicic (personal reasons) missed his third straight game and F Martell Webster (sore back) was out for the seventh game in a row.
