January 26, 2015
The Minnesota faithful will welcome back Kevin Love this Saturday when the Timberwolves host the Cavaliers at the Target Center. Love was vocal about his intent to leave the TWolves last season and ultimately opted to join LeBron James in Cleveland. The Cavs haven’t been the threat they were initially thought to be, but ticket prices have skyrocketed for Love’s return to his former team this weekend.
The Cavaliers have consistently been one of the most sought-after tickets this season, and the new Big 3 of James, Love and point guard Kyrie Irving has generated inflated ticket prices at home as well as on the road. It will be no exception when Love returns to Minneapolis on Saturday, where the average price for Timberwolves vs Cavaliers tickets on TicketIQ is $196.20, up 196.5% over the Timberwolves’ season average of $66.16 at home. Saturday’s cheapest seat is currently listed at $39. It is the most expensive home game remaining on the Timberwolves schedule.
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As Love makes his triumphant return to his former stomping grounds, fans are expected to greet the superstar with a mixed formula of boos and celebratory cheers. The 6’10” big man spent six seasons as a Timberwolves and made three All-Star appearances. Success wasn’t a team effort, however, as the Timberwolves failed to post a winning record in each of Love’s seasons in Minnesota.
In addition to Love’s homecoming, the Cavaliers also boast the world’s best player in LeBron James. With Love and James set to take the court, there will be a new energy in the rafters of the Target Center – one that has been idle since the Timberwolves’ last run in the playoffs 12 years ago. Minnesota has won just seven games this year, but ticket prices have ballooned to catch a glimpse of the Cavaliers over the weekend.
The Cavaliers have had their own struggles over the first half of the season and sit at just 25-20 in a relatively weak Eastern Conference. On the heels of a four-game losing streak, the Cavs have led reason to believe that a turnaround was imminent, and they’ve come alive over the past two weeks. The team has won its last six games and posted notable victories over Western Conference postseason contenders in the Clippers and Thunder. They’ll look to keep their hot streak alive when they travel to Minnesota on Saturday.
