MINNEAPOLIS - In six seasons in Minnesota, Kevin Love witnessed how warmly the fans greeted former Timberwolves star Kevin Garnett each time he came back to town.On the eve of Loves first game back at Target Center since he was traded to Cleveland last summer, the second-best player in franchise history isnt expecting the same kind of reception.Truthfully? Boooo, Love said Friday when asked by Cleveland reporters about what kind of environment he expected on Saturday night in Minnesota. Probably more of that than a mix of cheers.Minnesota owner Glen Taylor said he, for one, will welcome Love back with open arms.Id be pleased to give him a hug and wish him the best and hope it goes well and hope he stays healthy, Taylor told The Associated Press. He worked hard and he did well for us and Im appreciative of that.Love came to Minnesota in a draft-night trade in 2008, and eventually supplanted Garnett as the face of the franchise. With a strong work ethic, he turned himself into a three-time All-Star and an Olympic gold medallist . He interacted with fans who had jumped off the bandwagon when Garnett was traded. He also started a successful winter coat drive that provided warm outerwear for thousands of disadvantaged in the Twin Cities.But unlike Garnett, who took the Timberwolves to the playoffs eight times and was named MVP in 2004 while leading them to the Western Conference finals, Love never made it to the post-season.Management failed time and again to surround Love with enough talent to compete in the powerful West. Blunders were committed in the draft (Jonny Flynn over Steph Curry in 2009, Wes Johnson over DeMarcus Cousins in 2010), in trades and free agency (Michael Beasley, Darko Milicic, J.J. Barea) and with coaches (Randy Wittman, Kurt Rambis) and general managers (David Kahn).All of those failures, coupled with injuries to Ricky Rubio and Love, contributed to 323 losses in Loves six seasons with the Wolves.I think it couldve gone better with what we had if we had been a little bit luckier (with injuries), Taylor said. Theres a lot of things. Maybe if we drafted better and did some things, but we did what we did. It isnt Kevins fault. Maybe we shouldnt have made some decisions we made. I dont know what to say about that. I wish we wouldve done better.As much credit as Love deserves for transforming himself from a doughy UCLA freshman to a sculpted offensive force in the NBA, he carries some responsibility for the Wolves failures as well.The relationship soured in 2012, when Kahn refused to give Love a five-year maximum contract extension. Love signed a four-year deal with an opt-out after three seasons and didnt hide his disappointment.He carried the grudge for the next 2 1/2 seasons, turning from a funny, engaging public personality into a sullen figure on the court and in the locker room. He played in only 18 games because of a twice-broken hand in 2012-13, alienated teammates behind the scenes by withdrawing from the group and struggled mightily on the defensive end.Love requested a trade at the end of last season and a tour of Boston early in the summer didnt sit well with fans back in Minnesota.Minnesota people are pretty loyal. You turn on Minnesota, they dont forgive you, president and coach Flip Saunders said in December. So I think people probably appreciated him while he was here. But you leave under the terms that he did, just the way Minnesota people are, theyre not pretty forgiving along those lines.The Cavaliers sent No. 1 overall draft pick Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett to Minnesota in a three-team deal that also netted the Wolves Thaddeus Young to get Love. The Wolves again were plagued by injuries during an 8-37 start to the season, but Wiggins development has them hopeful they have found a dynamic, two-way player to team with Rubio.We needed a player that we get to the end of the game and we give him the ball and the other team says, Holy cow, hes going to be hard to stop because we dont know what hes going to do, Taylor said. We just havent had that guy. Kevin Love ... he couldnt do that by himself and the other team could guard it pretty well at the end of the game because they knew what he was going to do.Love has gone through expected adjustments in his first year on a team with championship aspirations. He has become the clear No. 3 option behind James and Kyrie Irving, and his numbers have taken a sizeable dip. He didnt make the All-Star team in the Eastern Conference and the Cavaliers have only recently started to mesh.Love is 6 for 26 in his last two games, but the Cavaliers had won eight straight heading into the game Friday night against Sacramento.Maybe shooting at the baskets he filled up for six seasons will get him going. But hes bracing for an unexpectedly foreign feeling in his old home.Im sure once I get there, it will be a little different feeling for me, Love said. Obviously playing on the visitors side, going into the visitors locker room, going to the different bench. But I havent really given it too much thought, and luckily were on a winning streak right now, so thats really whats first and foremost.But, yeah, once the game is over (Friday night) and we get there, it will be a little different, not staying at my apartment in Minneapolis, well be staying at a different hotel. Hunter Wood Jersey . PAUL, Minn. George Hendrick Indians Jersey . Although Spain could still advance out of the group stage, the game may have signalled the end of the run by a generation of Spanish stars whose quick passing, "tiki-taka" style delighted the world and helped them win the last three major tournaments. https://www.cheapindiansonline.com/3718u-duane-kuiper-jersey-indians.html . The 20-year-old overager has appeared in 35 games for the Ontario Hockey Leagues Erie Otters this season, scoring 41 goals and adding 27 assists with a plus-28 rating. Jordan Luplow Jersey . Phoenix got injured centre Emeka Okafor and a top-12-protected first-round draft pick in 2014 -- giving the rebuilding Suns potentially four choices in the opening round. The Suns also sent guards Kendall Marshall, Shannon Brown and Malcolm Lee to Washington so the deal will work financially. Tom Candiotti Indians Jersey . Louis Blues and back into top spot of the TSN.ca NHL Power Rankings. The Sharks had been ranked No. After two full days off, the Montreal Canadiens were back to work with a light 45 minute practice as they continue to wait for their opponent in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Having a rest at this time of year is a luxury every team would love to have, but some fans are worried that this break might kill the momentum the Canadiens gained after sweeping the Tampa Bay Lightning. However, those concerns are not shared in the Habs locker room. "I feel like I ended the series on the right note and that will carry over to the second round,” Max Pacioretty told the media. “Im completely stress free right now and its nice to have a little bit of a mental vacation." The players are viewing this break as a mini training camp, elevating the intensity level every day. The Canadiens will welcome back Traviss Moen for the second round of the playoffs.dddddddddddd. Moen was sidelined with a concussion after a fight with Bruins defenseman Kevan Miller back on March 24. The veteran is part of the teams leadership group and plays a key role on the Habs penalty kill. He also brings plenty of experience in the playoffs, having already won a Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks back in 2007. Now, the challenge for Michel Therrien will be to figure out where Moen might fit in his lineup. "Its always tough to take someone out of the lineup, so we arent quite sure where we are going right now," the Habs bench boss said. Therrien will wait until his second round opponent is confirmed before he gets into his lineup. At the moment he said his focus is to make sure that his players keep their conditioning levels up during this break. ' ' '