Carmelo Anthony practiced with the Nuggets on Friday, returning to the team after taking eight days to mourn the death of his sister.

Anthony left the team on Dec. 22 and missed five games while helping his family deal with its loss.

"There's no place like the gym, especially when you go through tough times like I just went through," he said. "But I'm glad to be back, glad to be here. My spirits are up. The worst is over with and I'm back here and I can just focus on basketball."

Michelle Anthony, a 38-year-old mother of four, died on Dec. 21 in Baltimore. The cause of the death was not disclosed, though the Nuggets released a statement that she had died of a "pre-existing condition."

The two had talked over the phone all the time after his games.

"I'm going to miss her calling me after every game, telling me what I did wrong, telling me what I did good and giving me some encouragement. But I know she's watching," Anthony said. "I know she's looking down. I'm going to try to keep my head up high, do what I've got to do on the basketball court and continue playing like I've been playing trying to get some wins."