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CLEVELAND - Kevin Loves first meeting with his former team wasnt packed with much emotion.LeBron James expects a much different reunion on Christmas.Love scored 20 points in his first game against Minnesota, Kyrie Irving added 29 and the Cleveland Cavaliers pulled away in the second half for a 125-104 victory over the Timberwolves on Tuesday night, sending them on to James holiday visit in Miami to play the Heat.Loves matchup with the team he spent six frustrating seasons with before a summer blockbuster trade was overshadowed by an injury to Cleveland centre Anderson Varejao, who had to be helped off the floor in the third quarter. Varejao was unable to put any weight on his left leg as he was assisted to the locker room.The Cavs wont know more about Varejaos injury until Wednesday. He left Quicken Loans Arena on crutches with his leg in an immobilizing air cast.James added 24 points for the Cavs, now 12-3 since opening 5-7.Minnesota rookie Andrew Wiggins scored 27 against the team that drafted him as the Timberwolves lost their sixth straight and 12th in 13 games.Wiggins was taken with the first pick in this years draft by the Cavaliers before he was packaged along with former top pick Anthony Bennett and sent to Minnesota for Love, who joined James and Irving to give Cleveland a Big Three capable of winning an NBA title.Love, who grabbed 10 rebounds and played much of the second half with his right thumb taped, said the matchup against the Timberwolves lacked passion.I didnt really feel much of anything to be honest with you, he said. It felt like just another game. It was a game we felt like we needed to win before going to South Florida for Christmas.On Thursday, James will return to face the Heat, the team he helped lead to two championships and four straight appearances in the finals.James has been looking forward to returning to his other NBA home.To say I havent thought about going back, I would be lying, he said. Its going to be great to be back in that building around those unbelievable fans and the memories will definitely come back being a part of the organization for four years. When it gets here Im going to be excited about it and re-live a lot of moments in my head and go from there.The Cavs led 82-70 in the third before closing the period with a 16-1 run, highlighted by 3-pointers from James and Dion Waiters to finally overwhelm the young and scrappy Timberwolves.Love figures to have a tougher time when he returns to Minnesota for the first time on Jan. 31, a game coach Flip Saunders believes many Timberwolves fans circled on their calendars long ago. Saunders said Minnesotans dont easily forgive anyone who has not been loyal to them.Love cant concern himself with any negative reaction.I try to stay off that stuff, Love said. I know when somebody leaves, they more often than not dont want to say good things about him.Following the game, Love hugged Saunders and several Minnesota coaches and team personnel.Those are guys I will have relationships with through my whole career and really beyond, he said. You never know when youll link back up with those people. Those are relationships I really cherish, whether they were one year or six years.TIP-INSTimberwolves: Minnesotas top three players — guard Ricky Rubio (sprained ankle), centre Nikola Pekovic (sprained ankle), and guard Kevin Martin (broken wrist) — have played in 23 combined games due to injuries. ... G Mo Williams received a nice ovation when he entered the game for the first time. He spent three seasons with Cleveland. ... The matchup featured four No. 1 overall draft picks: Wiggins (2014), Bennett (2013), Irving (2011) and James (2003).Cavaliers: Waiters added 19 points, his second straight strong game. ... The Cavs have won nine of 10 at home. ... F Mike Miller started but picked up three fouls in a span of 38 seconds in the first and only played nine minutes. ... Cleveland is 8-0 when shooting 50 per cent or better.PICK YOUR SUPERSTARWiggins said defending James wasnt as tough as trying to stop Kobe Bryant.For me as a defender, I would say Kobe, he said. Kobe has been the toughest matchup for me this year. The Timberwolves defeated the Lakers 120-119 in Los Angeles on Nov. 28. Bryant scored 26 points, Wiggins had 16.James had some high praise for Wiggins.Hes a great talent, James said. Very poised and very efficient. They got a great piece.UP NEXT:Timberwolves: At Denver on Friday.Cavaliers: At Miami on Thursday. Colton Sceviour Panthers Jersey . His head snapped back from the impact and hit the floor. The All-Star power forward was all right afterward, a relief for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Ian McCoshen Panthers Jersey . The Spanish champions decision not to sign a defender during the January transfer window may have backfired after Valencia took advantage of a lethargic, uninspired effort by its hosts at the Camp Nou, where former Spain coach Luis Aragones -- who previously coached the Catalan side -- was honoured after his death on Saturday. http://www.hockeypanthersofficialonline.com/denis-malgin-hockey-jersey/ . Coming off a 6-0 drubbing at Chelsea on Saturday, Arsenal endured another demoralizing result after rallying for a 2-1 lead -- only to concede a fluke equalizer. Mark Pysyk Panthers Jersey . He wants to seize that opportunity. The trouble is, Firus has had more bumps on the road to Sochi than most. Last year, Firus had the skate of a lifetime in the short program at the Canadian championships when he landed his first triple Axel in competition and finished third in a stacked field. Ian McCoshen Jersey . With the players association in the midst of meetings in Las Vegas, a vote will be held on Friday to decide the CFLPAs presidency and other executive positions.BOSTON -- John Tavares scored 32 seconds into the third period and added a power-play goal with 6:43 left as the New York Islanders rallied for a 5-3 win over the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night. Frans Nielsen also scored twice, Kyle Okposo had a goal and two assists, and Thomas Vanek had a pair of assists for the Islanders, who scored four straight goals after falling behind 3-1 with 8:02 left in the second. Evgeni Nabokov stopped 31 shots, and Tavares added two assists as New York scored four power-play goals against the Bruins, who entered with the third-best penalty kill in the NHL. Boston gave New York repeated opportunities, and the Islanders capitalized for their fourth straight road win. The Bruins appeared to be in command after Patrice Bergeron and Zdeno Chara scored 25 seconds apart to put Boston up 3-1 midway through the second period. The momentum dissolved quickly as Boston spent most of the final four minutes trying to kill penalties. Okposos power-play goal with three seconds left in the second period tied it 3-3. Tavares gave New York its first lead with a tough-angle wrist shot 32 seconds into the third. Nielsen started the comeback on a one-timer from the slot with 3:30 left in the second to pull New York within 3-2, scoring his second power-play goal of the game. The Bruins were back at full-strength for aall of three seconds before the Islanders went right back on the power play when Milan Lucic was called for cross-checking during the faceoff.dddddddddddd Boston killed that penalty, but gave New York another opportunity when a clearing attempt by goalie Tuukka Rask went over the glass for a delay-of-game penalty with 41 seconds left in the period. Okposos wrist shot just seconds before the horn sent the game into the third tied at 3-3. Tavares sealed the Islanders win later in the period. Bergerons power-play goal with 7:27 left in the second gave Boston a 2-1 lead, which Chara added to 25 seconds later with a slap shot from the point. It was the 10th goal of the season for both Boston veterans. Nielsen tied it with a power-play goal 5:56 into the second on a one-timer from the top of the right circle off a crossing pass from Tavares. The goal came just 24 seconds after Matt Bartkowski was called for holding. David Krejci broke a scoreless tie 5:25 into the game for his 100th NHL goal on a rebound off a shot by Jarome Iginla. NOTES: The Islanders finished 4-for-8 on the power play. ... Okposo, who assisted on Nielsens first goal, extended his point streak to seven games. ... Reilly Smith assisted on Bergerons goal, giving him 17 for the season. ... Chara returned after missing one game with an undisclosed injury. ' ' '