Golden State Warriors news, Dec. 13

(12-14) 04:00 PST SALT LAKE CITY - --

Monday's game against Utah heavyweights Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap was a friendly warm-up compared with what awaits Warriors center Andris Biedrins when he returns to Oracle Arena tonight.

Minnesota big man Kevin Love is in a rebounding rhythm like the NBA hasn't seen in decades.

Love has a league-leading 19 double-doubles, and during his current 10-game double-double streak, he has at least 15 rebounds in each. His season averages of 20.5 points and 15.6 rebounds per game put him on pace to become the league's first 20-15 man since Moses Malone in 1982-83.

Love has five 20-rebound games this season. Biedrins has two. The rest of the league has combined for six.

"It's unnatural almost, the kind of numbers (Love) has been putting up," Minnesota head coach Kurt Rambis said. "He's doing it every night, so it has to be a part of a team's defensive game plan to keep him off the glass, and they're still not able to do it."

Biedrins had a 20-rebound effort against Utah on Nov. 5, and it tipped off a 14-game stretch of high-level activity for the 7-footer. During the span, he averaged 11.4 rebounds per game and 7.7 points on 55.9 percent shooting. He had 28 points on 13-for-15 shooting and 21 rebounds against Memphis on Nov. 26.

"I sent him a text before that (Memphis) game and told him it was time to get his butt in gear and play some ball," power forward David Lee joked. "That's the Andris that I used to have to play against, and I would just shake my head when I had to go out and play him. Whenever he is active like that around the basket, he's as good as anybody."

Within a week of the Memphis outing, however, Biedrins started a skid with a four-point, three-rebound effort against Phoenix. That began a five-game stretch in which he averaged 6.6 rebounds and four points per game on 41.7 percent shooting.

"We need Andris to be at his highest level against any center, because when he's at a very, very high level, things work really well for us," head coach Keith Smart said.

"I guess I get frustrated if I don't make shots," Biedrins said. "I'm getting only five or six shots, so if I miss the first couple, I get really mad at myself."

This article appeared on page B - 3 of the San Francisco Chronicle