Ricky Rubio has been cleared to return to practice.

Rubio could resume playing in games for the Minnesota Timberwolves as early as next week.

Rubio tore his ACL last March.

Kevin Love played without a padded glove on Tuesday and responded with 23 points and 24 rebounds in 44 minutes.

"Yeah, he did, he did look like it," Rick Adelman said when asked if he looked like the real Kevin Love again. "That was one of the more complete games he has played. He let the game come to him. He passed the ball. He set screens. He made shots. He rebounded it. It was just a complete all-around game. He told me he felt good all along, and we sure needed it."

Love is returning from a broken right hand.

Alexandra "Sasha" McHale, daughter of Kevin McHale, has passed away at the age of 22.

Sasha McHale has long battled lupus and had been hospitalized with a related condition.

“I extend my deepest condolences to Kevin and Lynn for the loss of their beautiful daughter, Sasha, on Saturday afternoon,” Rockets owner Leslie Alexander said in a statement on Sunday. ” Kevin and Lynn are loving and dedicated parents who will need our continued support throughout this very difficult time.  Our entire organization is mourning the McHale family’s loss and we ask that you keep them in your thoughts and prayers.”

Kevin McHale has been on leave to be with his daughter and family since Nov. 10.

Derrick Williams was the second overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, but it is difficult to see how he fits into the Minnesota Timberwolves plans.

Williams went from starting at power forward to not playing a single minute in Wednesday's game as Kevin Love returned from a broken hand.

Rick Adelman appears to prefer the experience from Dante Cunningham and Lou Amundson.

Brandon Roy admitted that his knees have reached Level III arthritis.

"Level IV," Roy says fearlessly, "is when you get a knee replacement."

Roy has made peace with the possibility that he might not return from his latest arthroscopic procedure.

"I wouldn't be disappointed either way," he said. "If it ends in three weeks, it ends. It's over. I'm totally satisfied with what I've done. I know the sacrifice and the effort that I put into coming back. It took a lot of discipline to get to where I am. That's all I care about: how hard I've worked. So I can't say I'm disappointed, that would be selfish. I was just a normal player my junior year in college, and everything since has been a major blessing.

"I've had an unbelievable run."

Kevin Love surprisingly was activated from his broken right hand early to play in Wednesday's game for the Minnesota Timberwolves against the Nuggets.

Love was originally expected to be out until mid-December.

Love broke the third and fourth metacarpal bones in his hand while doing knuckle push-ups.

Brandon Roy will undergo arthroscopic knee surgery this week.

Roy has undergone seven knee surgeries in his career, dating back to high school.

Roy has missed the last four games with soreness in his knee.

Nikola Pekovic returned to practice on Sunday and participated fully.

Pekovic felt a little pain in his injured ankle, but is expected to be ready for Wednesday's game against the Nuggets.

Ricky Rubio, recovering from a torn ACL that forced him out of the 2012 Olympics, hopes to resume playing for the Spanish National team at EuroBasket 2013.

"I don't know, my health condition will decide,” Rubio said. “This summer, for example, I couldn't go because of my knee. If I don't go, knock on wood, I hope it's not because of injuries.

"From my part, I will always be available for my national team as long as my body lets me play."

Without Rubio, Spain lost to the U.S 107-100 in last summer's gold-medal game.

"It was such a pity," Rubio said. "I don't want to think about it because it's something very sad.

"In any case, there will be more summers and more Olympic Games and I hope to continue with the national team, where the atmosphere is great and we have such a nice time every summer.”

The Minnesota Timberwolves have waived Will Conroy.

The Wolves needed to create a roster spot to sign Josh Howard.