Ricky Rubio: Minnesota Timberwolves PG Shines in Comeback Win over Detroit

In an exhilarating comeback run, the Minnesota Timberwolves topped Detroit 93-85 Wednesday night. Kevin Love tallied yet another double-double with 20 points and 17 rebounds, but Ricky Rubio proved to be one of the biggest factors of the night.

Anybody watching the first half of the ball game would not have predicted the outcome in Minnesota's favor. The Timberwolves appeared unorganized—a step behind their opponents—and entered the locker room at halftime trailing by eight. They scored only 36 points throughout the first two quarters.

In the second half? They scored 57 points, holding the Pistons to only 14 in the final quarter. Minnesota shot 40 percent from the field and an impressive 73.5 percent from the charity stripe.

Timberwolves writer Mark Remme said it well:

"As the team battled back, chipping away one possession at a time, Minnesota reinforced a notion coach Rick Adelman instilled early in training camp: No matter how the offense is performing, defense is the key to victories."

No one reflected that principle more strongly than Rubio. In addition to his impressive offensive stats (seven rebounds, eight assists and nine points), the rookie point guard tallied six steals in his fight for the win.

According to a Twitter post by Timberwolves_PR, Rubio grabbed the most steals in a Timberwolves game since Kevin Garnett got seven against the LA Clippers on Jan. 27, 2007. The Elias Sports Bureau states that Rubio entered NBA history with these stats, but he missed a quadruple-double by failing to reach 10 in any category.

"The most appropriate way to put it? Rubio had the best quadruple-single in NBA history."

Rubio's energy and tenacity on the floor not only leads his team but also creates an electrifying atmosphere to the Target Center. Fans were on their feet for most of the fourth quarter, and the excitement this season compared to last is obvious.

Minnesota's bench also added to the comeback. With less than seven minutes remaining in the game, Anthony Tolliver and Wayne Ellington scored five points apiece to give the Wolves a seven-point lead.

Tolliver exploded defensively, as well. The forward found himself guarding Detroit's Tayshaun Prince during the fourth quarter, and the leading scorer was effectively shut down.

"We definitely made progress tonight," Tolliver said. "We definitely had some stretches where it wasn't too good, either. But our goal is to continue to get where we're playing 48 minutes like we had some stretches today."

Nikola Pekovich came off the bench to relieve center Darko Milicic, and the big man played strong defense beneath the basket. He's not the most consistent player on the roster, but Adelman seems optimistic about his potential. "He's a presence in there," Adelman commented postgame. "We needed a physical presence."

Minnesota jumped to 6-8 with the win. The Wolves continue to look stronger and stronger as a ball club, and they proved Wednesday that they are capable of being a second-half team—something they have struggled with for the past few seasons.

The Timberwolves left for Los Angeles this morning, where they will face the Clippers on Friday. Tipoff is set for 9:30 PM CST.