Kevin Love passes Moses Malone with 52nd double-double in row

Minneapolis (AP)-Kevin Love recorded his 52nd double-double in a row to pass Moses Malone for the longest streak of its kind since the ABA and NBA merged in 1976 with the Minnesota Timberwolves "101 -75 plummeting over Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night.

Love overcame a bruised left knee that put up 16 points and 21 rebounds in just 27 minutes to help the Timberwolves won for just the 16th time this season. Love wasted no time extending the streak of double-digit points and rebounds, with just under seven minutes to play in the first half.

Tyler Hansbrough (Notes) scored 21 points for the Pacers, who shot a season-low 29 percent lost their fifth straight. Forward Danny Granger managed just 10 points in two of his 19 shots.

Michael Beasley (Notes) added 16 points and eight rebounds in 22 minutes for Minnesota.

Love was not even sure he was going to play the game just before tipoff after bruising his left knee in a loss to Dallas on Monday. But he decided to give it a go.

With the ringing in quick Pacers, Love had 10 rebounds in just 12 minutes of playing time and people knew it too.

Love grabbed his first rebound of the first 10 seconds of the game, and a fan shouted, "That 's what! And 'that! "

He went to the free throw line with 6:51 to play in the first half and nine points and 10 rebounds, and the audience rose to its feet and roared.

The first free throw splashed through, and love gave a deep sigh of relief that his execution was announced. He gestured to the crowd, and then went back to work.

Only nine players in NBA history, both before and after the merger, there were at least 50 double-doubles. Eight of love-Malone, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor, Walt Bellamy, Wilt Chamberlain, Elvin Hayes, Jerry Lucas, Bill Russell, are in the Hall of Fame.

Next on the list of the longest streaks are Hayes of 55 straight in 1973-74.

Better yet, love to see the entire fourth quarter from the bench, resting a knee that clearly bothers him as he lay on the ground. The Timberwolves won for only the 12th time in their sequence.

Pacers are in the midst of a streak of their own, and it's not a good idea. After winning seven of their first eight games following the firing of coach Jim O'Brien, Pacers have lost seven of their last eight games and lost an average of 17 points over the last five years.

They entered the 1 1 / 2 night games ahead of Charlotte Square in the eighth and final playoff and hit a new low in getting blown of the worst teams in the Western Conference.

Hansbrough made two of his first four shots but his teammates have lost their first 15 shots. The game got out of hand in the third quarter when Indiana scored only two points in the first six minutes of delay of 22.