There were a lot fewer empty chairs in the Wolves’ locker room tonight at Verizon Center than the last time they played, last Tuesday against Toronto.

This time, Craig Smith is back and ready to play. Kevin Ollie has re-joined the team and will be examined by team doctor David Fischer when the Wolves return home Thursday with the expectation that he will be cleared to be practicing. And Rashad McCants was healthy after he went to the hospital before Tuesday’s game with what the Wolves medical staff suspected was appendicitis. Turns out, he was only really, really sick instead.

But there still was one chair unfilled.

“There’s always an empty chair when Big Al’s not there to fill it,” Kevin McHale said.

McHale said he planned to text message Jefferson tonight to wish him well before he has surgery Wednesday in New York City to repair the anterior-cruciate ligament he tore nine days ago at New Orleans.

Btw, the Wolves trail 51-42 at halftime after trailing by as many as 18 points in the second quarter.

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