Lillard scored 17 points in t

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In his job running the NHLs department of player safety, Brendan Shanahan often had to make quick decisions. He would hold a hearing, make a ruling and shoot a video explaining a suspension all sometimes in a matter of hours. Tasked in his new role as Toronto Maple Leafs president with fixing what ails a team that lost 12 of its final 14 games to miss the playoffs, Shanahan feels plenty of internal pressure to make some changes. But he knows it wont be an easy or fast process. "Im realistic that you cant do everything overnight, that there are 29 other teams that are trying to accomplish the same goal and also covet good players," Shanahan said in a phone interview Wednesday. "No ones going to lay down for us because were the Toronto Maple Leafs and give us their assets." Shanahan, who took his time before deciding along with general manager Dave Nonis to extend coach Randy Carlyle for two more seasons and fire assistants Scott Gordon, Greg Cronin and Dave Farrish, seems willing to take a patient approach in remaking the roster to suit his style. One month into this new challenge, the 45-year-old insisted its too early to even know how much change the Leafs need. "You want to be ready to come out of the gates, we all know how important each game is, but I would say with most teams the team that starts a season isnt necessarily the same team that ends a season," Shanahan said. "For me, timing is less an issue as is the quality of the decisions. I dont feel and Im not getting any pressure from anyone in the organization saying this team has to look like this by this date." There may not be a firm deadline for major or minor changes to player personnel, but there are certainly mile-markers along the way. Sometime in the near future the Leafs must replace the three fired assistant coaches, which will happen with input from Shanahan, Nonis and Carlyle. Then the draft and free agency provide the first real chances to reshape the team. Shanahan will lean on the scouting staff as far as the drafting goes, but he wont shy away from sharing his opinion. When it comes to making trades and signing free agents, hell begin the true process of moulding the Leafs in his image. Given the talk about culture change and a lack of an identity from Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment president Tim Leiweke on the day Shanahan was introduced and reports that captain Dion Phaneuf, defenceman Jake Gardiner and centre Nazem Kadri are the subject of trade talks, some significant moves should probably be expected. Nonis is fond of saying even as he signs players to long-term deals that none of them include full no-trade clauses. Shanahan believes that gives the Leafs roster flexibility to make changes. "I would agree with Daves assessment," he said. "Absolutely." Shanahan wasnt showing his hand on how quickly he might want to make moves, cautioning that he doesnt have a one-size-fits-all theory on how to conduct business. "Im confident in my ability to make informed decisions when I think theyre right not on any timetable," he said. "Basically we could be making decisions that would appear that were being hasty, but if the right decision is there and its there right now, well make it. And if I feel that the strong decision and the strong move is to sit back and wait, then Ill do that as well." In the short-term, theres keen interest in what Shanahan does with a team that made the playoffs in the lockout-shortened 2013 season and fell short in 2013-14 following a memorable collapse. But beyond hinting that in-season changes could also be coming, he intends to look elsewhere in the organization for big-picture alterations. "I know that whats probably most interesting to fans and to people around the league are coaching decisions and player-personnel decisions," Shanahan said. "But also I think its equally as important to devote time to your player-development staff, your scouting staff -- just the entire guts and foundation of what makes a strong organization." MINNEAPOLIS -- Kevin Love worked all summer long to put an injury plagued season behind him and reclaim his spot as the best power forward in the league. LaMarcus Aldridge of the Portland Trail Blazers is one of the players standing in his way. In their first head-to-head matchup of the season, Love pounced on a road-weary Aldridge and grabbed Round 1. Love had 29 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists to outshine Aldridge in the Minnesota Timberwolves 120-109 victory over Portland on Wednesday night. "Awesome," Wolves point guard Ricky Rubio said. "Theres no words to describe. Hes doing a great job leading this team in scoring, rebounding, even assisting. Hes taking my job." Nikola Pekovic had 30 points and nine rebounds and Kevin Martin scored 22 for the Timberwolves, who led by 32 in the second quarter and held off a charge in the second half from the Blazers. Damian Lillard had 36 points, six assists and six rebounds and Aldridge had 15 points and 14 boards for the weary Trail Blazers, who lost for the first time in six games. It was just their fifth loss of the season in 27 games and came at the end of a four-game road trip. The Timberwolves outscored Portland 72-34 in the paint and shot 49.5 per cent from the field. Aldridge, one of the early leaders in the MVP race thanks to Portlands remarkable start, made just 7 of 22 shots. "Just one of those nights," Aldridge said. "I couldnt throw a rock in a lake if I tried to, even if I was standing in the water." The Blazers have been the most surprising team of this young season, and they stormed into Target Center fresh off two straight heart-pounding victories on last-second shots by Lillard that gave them the best record in the NBA. But playing their fourth road game in five nights, their legs were heavy, their shots where shaky and the Wolves pounced. Love owned the first 24 minutes. He had a double-double before the game was 13 minutes old and went into halftime with 17 points, 11 boards and eight assists. The Wolves rode a staggering 42-12 run through the second quarter to take a 62-30 leead five minutes before the break.dddddddddddd He started fast breaks, he hit deep 3s and he went to the floor for loose balls, setting the tone and building a cushion that they sorely needed as the game wore on. But he still ended up one assist shy of his first career triple-double. "I did think I was looking at it right in the face tonight, but it didnt happen for me," Love said. "Guys kept saying just get one more. I just said lets get a ... win. How about that? Im way more happy with that more than anything." Portland coach Terry Stotts said he considered pulling the plug after the third and resting his starters. But these are the Blazers, who shoot 3s without conscience and play with a swagger generated by their cold-blooded point guard. And theyre never out of a game. Lillard scored 17 points in the third, and his step-back 3 brought Portland to 86-75 with 2:04 to play in the quarter. "Two things, one is you dont know when to pull a plug on a game like this, and two with our team, with our ability to shoot, you just dont know," Stotts said. Martin, who missed Monday nights game in Boston with a sore left knee, responded with a 3 and J.J. Barea hit two big 3s in the closing seconds of the quarter to push the lead back to 22. Lillard hit two 3s and Nicolas Batum, who scored 20 points, scored on a putback and a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to five with 46 seconds to play, but the Wolves closed it out at the free-throw line. "You know last year, that probably wouldve been a game where we just said all right were going to give it a shot in the third quarter and in the fourth quarter we probably wouldve ended up laying down," Lillard said. "But we fought back, and I think with a minute and a half it was a game." NOTES: The Wolves announced that F Chase Budinger has been cleared for full-contact practice. Budinger has yet to play this year after having surgery to remove part of the meniscus in his left knee. ... It was the third career 30-point game for Pekovic. ... Lillard went 7 for 14 from 3, while the rest of the team went 7 for 26. 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