Knee surgery ends Love's injury-nagged season

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (AFP) –

Kevin Love of the Minnesota Timberwolves during a game on December 18, 2012. Love will undergo surgery on his left knee later this week, ending an injury-plagued season for the fifth-year NBA standout.

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love will undergo surgery on his left knee later this week, ending an injury-plagued season for the fifth-year NBA standout.

Love, who played in only 18 games, will have an arthroscopic procedure to remove scar tissue that has collected in his knee. Recovery time from the surgery is usually four to six weeks.

The Timberwolves, at 29-47, are out of NBA playoff contention.

Love, 24, has missed Minnesota’s past 47 games following surgery on a broken right hand he suffered on January 3. Love had sustained a fracture to the same hand during a pre-season workout that caused him to miss Minnesota’s first nine games.

Love averaged 18.3 points and 14.0 rebounds this season after coming off a shortened off-season because he played for the US Olympic gold medal team of NBA stars at last year’s London Olympics.