CLEVELAND -- Kevin 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.
Love's reunion with the team he spent six frustrating seasons with before a summer blockbuster trade was overshadowed by an injury to Cleveland center 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.
LeBron James added 24 points for the Cavs, now 12-3 since opening 5-7.
Rookie Andrew Wiggins scored 27 against the team that drafted him for the Timberwolves, who dropped their sixth straight and have lost 12 of 13.
Wiggins was taken with the first pick in this year's 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 a title.
Love injured his right thumb in the third quarter when he was fouled by Minnesota's Thaddeus Young, one of the players involved in the July three-team trade. Love went to the locker room and got his thumb taped.
While he was getting treatment, Varejao went down with what the team said was an ankle/foot injury. Cleveland's hustling big man, who has had injury issues in the past, crumpled under the basket and stayed face down on the baseline for several minutes as the entire Cleveland bench came out to check on the popular Brazilian.
Varejao was helped to his feet and then assisted off the court without putting any weight on his leg.
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, who added 10 rebounds, will return 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 Monday that Minnesotans don't easily forgive anyone who has not been loyal to them.
Love can't concern himself with any negative reaction.
''I try to stay off that stuff,'' Love said after shootaround. ''I know when somebody leaves, they more often than not don't want to say good things about him.''
TIP-INS
Timberwolves: Minnesota's top three players - guard Ricky Rubio (sprained ankle), center 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: The Cavs will spend Christmas in Miami as James faces the Heat for the first time in the regular season. As he contemplated free agency last summer, James had a premonition about where he would be spending the holiday. ''I knew if I decided to come back here that I was probably going to be playing against Miami or in Miami for Christmas,'' he said. ... F Mike Miller started but picked up three fouls in a span of 38 seconds in the first and only played nine minutes.
UP NEXT:
Timberwolves: At Denver on Friday.
Cavaliers: At Miami on Thursday.