The salt stains on Joe Smith's face looked like faint war paint, left there by sweat that dried after the Timberwolves' second demanding practice in 18 hours.

Packing more exertion and work into a tighter time frame than at any point since training camp two-a-days, the Wolves paid for four days of freedom over the All-Star break with a pair of lengthy workouts Monday night and Tuesday morning.

"I knew it would be a tough one [Monday]," Smith said a day later. "Coming back after the break, I knew they'd try to get our legs back, try to get our wind right."

Whatever the Wolves hope to accomplish in the 33 games left on their 2001-02 regular season schedule begins now. They face the Phoenix Suns tonight at Target Center in the opener of a three-game homestand, matching their longest in-town stretch so far.

After that, they'll have a balanced schedule -- 15 games at home, 15 on the road -- and two months to set themselves up for the most important postseason of their lives. Since last spring, anyway.