The Cleveland Cavaliers (16-10) will collide with the struggling Minnesota Timberwolves (5-21) on Tuesday at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.
All eyes will be on Cavaliers forward Kevin Love, who will be facing his former team for the first time since asking for a trade to Cleveland in the offseason after six tumultuous years in Minnesota.
The Timberwolves, who failed to give Love a playoff stint in six season, traded the All-Star power forward to the Cavaliers in exchange for young prospects Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Bennett and a 2015 first-round pick in a deal where they also acquired Thaddeus Young from the Philadelphia 76ers.
Timberwolves president and coach Flip Saunders, who tried to convince Love to stay for another season, said that he holds no grudge against their former star, but he believes Minnesota fans will not forgive him for leaving the team.
"Minnesota people are pretty loyal. You turn on Minnesota, they don't forgive you," Saunders said on Monday via ESPN. "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, they are not pretty forgiving along those lines."
The 24-year-old forward spent the first six seasons of his NBA career with the Timberwolves, but he made it no secret that he wants out of Minnesota after the team decided not to offer him a five-year deal in 2012.
Love admitted that it will be "weird" to face his former team on Tuesday and in his first game back in Minnesota next month, but he reiterated that he is more focused on helping his team get the W against the Timberwolves.
"It is going to be another game tonight," said Love, who is averaging 16.8 points to go along with 10.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game this season. "Obviously, we know the implications of it being our fifth game of the homestand. Hopefully we get four out of five and we just want to have a good showing."
The Cavaliers-Timberwolves match is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. EST. It will be shown live on NBA TV, FSN and FSOH. Fans can also catch the action through online live streaming via NBA League Pass.
