Anthony Edwards is excited to bring his NBA All-Star Game MVP trophy back to Minnesota.

Timberwolves fans welcome Edwards and his teammates back when they tip off against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night in Minneapolis. It is the first game since the All-Star break for both teams, who appear headed in different directions as the postseason approaches.

Edwards hopes that more trophies will follow, especially team trophies.

“It means a lot,” Edwards said. “I love Minnesota, and I know Minnesota loves me. I said I wasn’t going to put on a show for them, but I gave them a show. Appreciate y’all, Minnesota.”

Minnesota won two consecutive games before the break and holds the sixth spot in the Western Conference standings. Before NBA action resumed Thursday night, only 1 1/2 games separated the Timberwolves from the third-place Denver Nuggets in the playoff race.

The Timberwolves brought back a familiar face to add bench depth as they look to improve their playoff seed. They re-signed veteran guard Mike Conley during the break and he rejoined the team for practice Thursday.

Conley averaged 4.4 points and 2.9 assists in 44 games (nine starts) with Minnesota earlier this season. The Timberwolves traded him on Feb. 3 to the Chicago Bulls, who subsequently flipped Conley to the Charlotte Hornets. He didn’t play for either team.

The Hornets bought out Conley’s contract, which cleared the way for Minnesota to bring him back.

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said he would be open-minded about when and how to reinsert Conley into the team’s rotation. Ayo Dosunmu, acquired in that Feb. 3 deal with the Bulls, has averaged 14.7 points and 28.0 minutes since his arrival and has forged chemistry with Bones Hyland.

“I think everything is on the table right now,” Finch said. “We’ve got some things to work through. Those two guys, Ayo and Bones, have been great, no doubt about it. They’re a nice little combination, too. We’ve just got to take it day by day. … We don’t have anything pre-scripted.”

As the Timberwolves look to build momentum after the break, the Mavericks are focused on how best to position themselves for next season and beyond.

Dallas arrives in Minnesota on a nine-game losing streak and, hypothetically, eager for its first victory since Jan. 22.

Impact rookie Cooper Flagg has provided a bright spot for the Mavericks by averaging 20.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game in 49 starts. But a foot sprain forced Flagg to miss the league’s All-Star activities, and he will not play Friday against the Timberwolves.

Dallas also will miss Kyrie Irving, who was ruled out of the remainder of the season this week as he recovers from a torn ACL.

“This decision wasn’t easy, but it’s the right one,” Irving said in a statement posted on the team’s website. “I am looking forward to coming back stronger next season. The belief and drive I have inside only grows.”

This is the third of four meetings between the teams this season. Minnesota won each of the first two matchups by scores of 120-96 on Nov. 17 and 118-105 on Jan. 28.

–Field Level Medi

When the Los Angeles Lakers return from the All-Star break on Friday, they expect to have their full complement of players for a change.

Head coach JJ Redick said Thursday all players would be available for the Lakers’ contest against the rival Clippers, including Luka Doncic.

The NBA scoring leader (32.8 points per game) sat out four games before the break due to a mild hamstring strain. And starting center Deandre Ayton missed the last two games with a sore right knee.

Redick said Austin Reaves’ minutes restriction would be lifted. Reaves (calf) returned from a five-week absence Feb. 3 and played between 20 and 29 minutes in his first five games back.

An official injury report for the game was not available as of 4 p.m. PT.

The trio of LeBron James, Doncic and Reaves has played together just 10 times so far for the Lakers (33-21), who are fifth in the Western Conference ahead of the stretch run. Each has dealt with injury concerns throughout the season.

Doncic has played 42 games and averaged 8.6 assists and 7.8 rebounds to go with his NBA-best scoring. Reaves has only played 28 games and is second on the team with 25.4 points per game as well as 6.0 assists and 5.0 rebounds.

James, who missed the start of the season while dealing with sciatica in his right side, has played 36 games and averaged 22.0 points, 7.1 assists and 5.8 rebounds.

In his first season in Los Angeles, Ayton has put up 13.2 points and a team-high 8.5 rebounds per game in 46 appearances.

–Field Level Media

MILAN — Alysa Liu produced a dazzling performance to win the gold medal at the Milan Cortina Games as she capped a remarkable comeback journey to snap a 20-year Olympic medal drought for Americans in the women’s figure skating event.

Kaori Sakamoto secured silver ahead of teenaged Japanese teammate Ami Nakai, who claimed bronze.

In a commanding and joyful performance, Liu nailed jump after jump as the sold-out crowd at the Milano Ice Skating Arena erupted.

Liu stunned the skating world when she retired from the sport at age 16 after the Beijing Games in 2022 citing burnout and the desire to pursue other interests.

She returned two years later with a newfound perspective on the sport, taking control of her programs and training, and won the world championship in Boston last year.

“That was unreal,” she said after the gold medal was placed around her neck.

“Never would have thought,” she added, shaking her head.

Aptly dressed in a shimmering gold outfit, she celebrated her flawless performance by playfully flicking back her striped ponytail at the end of her routine.

Her performance left her teammate Ilia Malinin punching the air in delight as he watched on from the stands and earned Liu a season-best score of 150.20 for her free skate and a total of 226.79.

It was Liu’s second gold medal in Milan following the United States’ triumph in the team competition earlier in the Games.

She came into Thursday’s competition as the U.S.’s last realistic hope for gold after teammates and fellow “Blade Angels” Amber Glenn and Isabeau Levito put themselves out of contention in Tuesday’s short program. Liu delivered seven soaring triple jumps on Thursday to become the first American woman to win an individual medal since Sasha Cohen captured silver in 2006 and the first U.S. gold medalist since Sarah Hughes triumphed in Salt Lake City in 2002.

Sakamoto, a favorite coming into the competition, was looking to win her first gold medal in her final Olympics but it was not to be as the three-time world champion and Beijing bronze medalist paid the price for failing to deliver one of her jump combinations. She finished second with a total of 224.90.

Nakai came into Thursday’s free skate leading both Sakamoto and Liu. While she nailed her opening triple Axel, her next element did not go to plan as she mistimed the expected triple loop-triple toe loop combination and had to settle for a triple-double effort — which effectively cost her the gold.

The 17-year-old surprisingly finished a lowly ninth in the free skate but secured bronze with a total of 219.16.

The highly anticipated women’s event marked the end of the figure skating competition at the Milan Cortina Games. Musician Megan Thee Stallion and tennis great Maria Sharapova were among those in attendance.

–Reuters, special to Field Level Media