Ricky Rubio may not have set the EuroBasket on fire for Spain this year, but he’s setting the NBA alight.
Almost two months after averaging 7.2 points, 3.4 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.36 steals and helping the squad finish third in Slovenia, Rubio has returned to Minnesota and excelled.
On Sunday night, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Rubio had the second triple-double of his career as the Timberwolves routed the Lakers, 113-90, to end their 22-game losing streak against the Western Conference behemoths.
Rubio finished with 12 points, 14 assists, 10 rebounds and five steals.
The Barcelona native is averaging a league best 3.57 steals per contest.
“We knew how hard it is to win against the Lakers,” Rubio said.
“We had lost 22 or something like that.
“We didn’t talk about it, but it’s something people talk about.
“We don’t want to be a losing team, 22 games is a lot. It can’t happen.”
Coming off a disappointing campaign when Minnesota finished well out of the hunt for a spot in the play-offs, the team is now 5-2 for just the fifth time in the club’s 25-year history.
The latest of those wins was especially sweet because the T-Wolves enjoyed their biggest ever margin of victory against the Lakers.
Rubio was in good shape when he arrived at training camp.
He averaged almost 21 minutes per game at the EuroBasket.
Rubio will be in the squad when the Spanish host next year’s 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
One of his Minnesota teammates, Kevin Love, has already committed to playing for the United States.
Love was on the USA teams that won the gold at the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey and the 2012 Olympics in London.
He was sensational against L.A. on Sunday, scoring 18 of his 25 points in the first quarter.
The T-Wolves scored a whopping 47 to lead by 24 at the end of the opening frame.
