.500 baby! It’s been a long, hard road, but here we are at last.

Seriously though, 1-1 without Kevin Love. I’ll take it, but this was a bad game. I worked as an usher at the Target Center for five years, joining soon after the Wolves lost in the Western Conference Finals. My thought at the time: I’m going to get to paid to watch this team play in the playoffs and possible the NBA finals next year and beyond. Sign me up! Five years later – zero playoff games and A LOT of bad basketball. Tonight, unfortunately was reminiscent of many of those nights in the two-thirds empty Target Center watching a slower, less-athletic, overmatched team trying to find a line-up, any line-up that could produce.

Speaking of empty crowds, where was the Memphis crowd tonight? Lot of empty seats. Very little energy despite what seemed like about dozen poster-dunks on helpless Wolves. Weren’t they like a hair away from the Western Conference finals last year?

My other lasting memory of Memphis from last year: Zach Randolph sarcastically clapping like a dopey circus clown after Kevin Love recorded his double-double. If memory serves, Love had just been chosen over Z-Bo for the All-Start game and Memphis was wiping the floor with puppy hides. Tonight we get no Z-Bo and no Love, but the Memphis domination continues – 9 of 10 for the Grizz.

On to the grades:

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No wrap tonight. Discuss.

You know the bit. No illegal feeds, pics, or gifs in the comments.

Blogging buddies here: Straight Outta Vancouver.

Kevin Love discussing trade rumors with his agent, after the Wolves proved they play better without him anyway.

Minnesota Timberwolves (13-12) vs. Memphis Grizzlies (12-13) at FedEx Forum

"I think (playing without Love) builds character and it builds a winning attitude," Beasley said.

Kevin Love's MVP hopes and future with the Timberwolves took a huge blow last night with the Wolves' victory over the Sacramento Kings. There's a reason the Wolves held the Kings to 84 points (11 below the Wolves' season OPP/G average) on 37% shooting. There's a reason why you didn't see any T-Wolves players arguing with the referees last night.

Love was back home in Minneapolis. Clearly, he was part of the problem all along, and not the solution. I guess we can thank our lucky stars that David Kahn was smart enough to know this and avoid signing Love to a five-year deal.

Let's take a look at what might be in store for tonight's game, which, to the dismay of the Grizzlies, will also be played without Kevin Love.

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