The Wolves returned from their six-day All Star break with an evening practice tonight at a private Washington, D.C., high school not far from Verizon Center.

Craig Smith, who missed five games because of a cracked rib suffered Feb. 3 at Indiana, practiced fully during the 100-minute workout and is expected to play Tuesday night against the Wizards off the bench as much as his conditioning and his healing rib allowed.

Smith said he still has “slight pain” that is far better than just eight days ago, when he was in too much pain to watch his team play a game at New Orleans in which they lost Al Jefferson to injury for the rest of the season.

“I’m a little surprised,” Wolves coach Kevin McHale said. “I thought it’d be a little longer, but he’s a tough kid.”

Meanwhile, Jefferson’s surgery is set for Wednesday in New York City. The Wolves, their doctors and Jefferson and his agent all huddled and settled on a time, place and doctor. He is expected to spend the next month after the surgery rehabilitating in Minneapolis after the surgery to repair his torn anterior-cruciate ligament.

And…

Kevin Ollie, out since early January because of a dislocated/fractured elbow, is expected to re-join the team Tuesday in Washington but is not expected to play again for another 10 days or two weeks, McHale said.

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