MINNEAPOLIS -- Kevin Love is used to carrying the beat-up Minnesota Timberwolves lately. Joe Girardi Jersey . This time, he finally had some help when he sat down to take a rest. Love had 42 points and 16 rebounds, Ricky Rubio tied a franchise high with 17 assists, and the Timberwolves beat Paul George and the Indiana Pacers 104-91 on Wednesday night. J.J. Barea scored 12 points off the bench as the Wolves took control early against the Eastern Conference leaders. "This is one of my favourite wins of the season just because we played a very good team," Love said. "We did it without two key players and we fought hard." George led Indiana with 35 points, but managed just two in the fourth quarter as the Pacers lost for the third time in five games, never once taking a lead. "We just didnt have a whole lot of pop tonight," said David West, who scored four points and struggled guarding Love all night. "This is a game that I thought we would come out and play a little better than we did. We just didnt have it, just a step or two slow." It was Loves eighth straight game with at least 25 points and 10 rebounds, the longest streak since Shaquille ONeal accomplished the same feat Jan. 3-19, 2005. Love has an NBA-best 14 games with 30 points and 10 rebounds this season. "I thought a lot of the shots he made was good defence," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. "You have to give him credit. He is an extraordinary player and he played an extraordinary game tonight." In their first game since the All-Star break as they try to make a late-season run and catch Golden State for the final playoff spot in the West, the Wolves came out running and led by 16 when Love came out for a rest 3 minutes into the second quarter. Minnesotas reserves have been unable to hold their ground when Love goes to the bench recently, but they did fine on Wednesday. Barea, the subject of recent trade rumours, scored eight straight points during one stretch -- including a circus shot on the fast break over C.J. Watson that increased Minnesotas lead to 20 with 6:48 left in the half. "When he gets his rest, we need other people to step up," Barea said. "Tonight, we were able to do that." Love scored 18 points in the third quarter, including a jumper from just inside the 3-point line with 0.8 seconds left that pushed the Wolves lead back up to 10 after an Indiana run. Minnesota, playing without injured starters Nikola Pekovic and Kevin Martin, led by as many as 17 in the third quarter. However, with Love sitting to start the fourth, a jumper from Watson early in the quarter cut Indianas deficit to five and gave the Pacers hope. But again, Minnesotas reserves held on. Barea knocked down a jump shot in front of the Wolves bench to extend the lead back to 11 with 8:33 to play and the Wolves never looked back. "Coach came to me and said hes going to give me a little bit of a rest," Love said. "He came to me during the timeout and said These guys are rolling. I said Great, just keep them in as long as you need to. Those guys just did a great job and really stepped up and took advantage of the opportunity tonight." When Love returned, he reeled in a full-court pass from Rubio with his fingertips and slammed it home to give the Wolves a 98-84 lead. Indiana went into the All-Star break stuck in a shooting slump, but shot 50 per cent in a win over Atlanta on Tuesday. The Pacers made just 8 of 22 shots to start Wednesdays game and finished at 40 per cent. "We will reflect on this," George said. "We really didnt want to lose and drop this game. But we have to move on. Its all about the next game." George Hill finished with 13 points and Lance Stephenson had 10 despite missing his first six shots. NOTES: Wolves coach Rick Adelman on how trade rumours impact players as the deadline approaches: "I think it definitely affects them. But its all part of the business, especially now," he said. ... The Pacers are 8-7 on the second game of a back-to-back. "Not really," Vogel answered after he was asked if he, George and Roy Hibbert have caught up on rest after All-Star weekend. "Im a little more tired than usual. Im sure those guys are. But it doesnt mean anything. Still have to go out and win games." The Wolves still dont know when Pekovic or Martin will return. Adelman said Martin will get his injured thumb examined again in the next day or two. .. Wolves centre Ronny Turiaf left in the fourth quarter with a right knee injury and didnt return. Joe Torre Jersey . Its been two seasons in one for both parties and neither will look back on the first 18 games fondly. "I think I took the fall for a lot of things," said Gay, reflecting on his short time in Toronto ahead of Wednesdays game against his former club. Yankees Jerseys China . FLIP SAUNDERS (Timberwolves): Im not the least bit surprised that he appointed himself as head coach after his search concluded. http://www.customyankeesjersey.com/custom-scott-brosius-jersey-large-1284i.html . PETERSBURG, Fla.PYONGYANG, North Korea -- Former NBA star Charles D. Smith says he feels remorse for coming to Pyongyang with Dennis Rodman for a game on the North Korean leaders birthday because the event has been dwarfed by politics and tainted by Rodmans own comments. Smith and other former NBA players are scheduled to play with Rodman against a team of North Koreans on Wednesday that organizers say leader Kim Jong Un is expected to attend. Many of the players on Tuesday privately expressed second thoughts about going ahead because of an outpouring of criticism back home in the United States. Smith, who played for the New York Knicks, said the North Korea trip has been dwarfed by politics and Rodmans frequent boasts about his close friendship with Kim. "What we are doing is positive, but it is getting dwarfed by the other circumstances around it," Smith told The Associated Press. "Apparently our message is not being conveyed properly due to the circumstances that are much bigger than us, and I think that has to do with politics and government." Rodman arrived in Pyongyang on Monday with seven former NBA players and four streetballers for the game on Kims birthday, believed to be his 31st. Along with Smith, the squad features ex-All Stars Kenny Anderson, Cliff Robinson and Vin Baker. The game would be another milestone in Rodmans surprising relationship with basketball fan Kim, who rarely meets with outsiders and is possibly the worlds most mysterious leader. Rodman has called the game a "birthday present" for Kim but says he has received death threats for his repeated visits to this country and for calling Kim a "friend for life." "The way some of the statements and things that Dennis has said has tainted our efforts," Smith said. "Dennis is a great guy, but how he articulates what goes on -- he gets emotional and he says things that hell apologize for later." NBA Commissioner David Stern has distanced his organization from Rodmans squad. "The NBA is not involved withh Mr. Tyler Wade Jersey. Rodmans North Korea trip and would not participate or support such a venture without the approval of the U.S. State Department," he said in a statement. "Although sports in many instances can be helpful in bridging cultural divides, this is not one of them." Rodman is the highest-profile American to meet Kim since the leader inherited power after his father, Kim Jong Il, died in late 2011. He travelled to the North for the first time last February and came back just before Christmas to hold tryouts for the North Korean basketball team, though he did not meet with Kim then. The plan to hold the game has been criticized because of the Norths human rights record, its development of nuclear weapons and its threats to use them if a conflict breaks out with Washington or Seoul. Rodman, in particular, has been slammed for not trying to use his influence with Kim to secure the release of Kenneth Bae, an American missionary with health problems who is being held in North Korea on charges of "anti-state" crimes. Asked in a CNN satellite interview Tuesday whether he would raise the issue of Bae, Rodman yelled in response, "I dont give a rats ass what the hell you think. ... One day this door is going to open because these 10 guys here." Smith placed his arm around Rodmans shoulder and a hand on his arm in an attempt to calm Rodman down. "I feel bad for Dennis, I feel bad for the players," Smith said afterward, adding that when he played for the United States in the 1988 Olympics he felt elation. "I felt huge, I felt on top of the world. But I feel the reverse now," he said. "I feel a lot of remorse for the guys because we are doing something positive, but its a lot bigger than us. We are not naive, we understand why things are being portrayed the way they are. We cant do anything about that, if we could we would. "Were not skilled in those particular areas," he added. "Dennis is definitely not skilled in those particular areas." ' ' '