ESP - ‘Awesome’ return for Rubio

MINNEAPOLIS (NBA/EuroBasket) - Everyone is happy that Ricky Rubio is healthy again and playing basketball for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Remember back in March, when the playmaker was in the midst of a fine rookie campaign and he tore the ACL in his left knee in a game against fellow Spaniard Pau Gasol and the Los Angeles Lakers.

The T-Wolves went from being a team contending for the Western Conference play-ffs to one that had lost its sparkplug.

They finished way out of the running of the post-season.

Spain also lost one of their most important national team players for the Olympics.

On Saturday, Rubio returned and helped his team knock off the Dallas Mavericks, 114-106, in overtime.

Rubio very nearly had a dream return.

Given a chance to hit a long jumper at the death, his attempt from behind the arc hit the front and back of the rim but stayed out.

Coach Rick Adelman's team still held on for the victory, reeling off the first 10 points of the extra period.

For Rubio, who had nine assists and three steals to go with his eight points, his return could not have been any better.

"It's amazing," Rubio said.

"They give me a great gift, that 'W' in overtime.

"I think we're going to do big things with this team this year.

"Just showing how we played in the overtime ...

"It was amazing."

Adelman was excited.

"When he has the ball in his hands, I'm a better coach," the veteran tactician said.

Minnesota's high-flying forward Derrick Williams may have summed up Rubio's return the best.

"He brings us all energy, man," Williams said.

"No words can really describe it.

"You've just got to feel it out there on the court."

A seasoned international basketball player like Rubio, Jose Barea of Puerto Rico, said: “He lives for basketball, you know?

"People like that, they'll do anything to play."

The most important people of all, the fans, gave Rubio a standing ovation when he got up to enter the game.

"I can't say with words how it felt," Rubio said.

"It (the ovation) gives you an extra motivation to play here. I'm so proud to be playing for this team, in front of this crowd."

There was so much anticipation, in fact, that there had been a roar from the crowd when Rubio appeared on the giant video screen during warm-ups

Rookie Alexey Shved of Russia, a bronze-medal winner the past two summers at the EuroBasket in Lithuania and the London Games, had a big performance himself.

He poured in 18 points, dishing out six assists and coming up with two steals in 44 minutes.

With three seasoned internationals in Rubio of Spain, Shved of Russia and Barea of Puerto Rico, the T-Wolves have a lot of firepower and creativity in the backcourt.

This is going to be a fun team to watch.

FIBA