Kevin Love returns tonight to the city where he played (for one season) his college ball and the Wolves face the mighty Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center.

When Kevin McHale made the draft-night trade that swapped O.J. Mayo for Love in an eight-player deal, it was predicated on the notion that there aren’t many worthy 7-footers in the NBA these days and McHale bet that Jefferson and Love — no bigger than 6-9 in their shoes, either of them — could play together in today’s downsized game.

The Lakers, for one team, refute that notion with two 7 footers in their starting lineup: Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol. That left little Craig Smith mismatched — at both ends — against power forward Pau Gasol last night and left Jefferson battling Bynum — the two players most mentioned as the centerpiece of any Kevin Garnett trade two summers ago — much of the night.

BTW, anyone notice Mayo scored 28 points in leading Memphis to its fourth straight win today, over Miami?

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