"Leandro Barbosa, who had surgery on his right wrist six weeks ago, returned to practice, and Gentry hopes he'll be available to play against the Lakers.

"I'll speak with the trainers, but he'll do a little more contact stuff (today) and practice Thursday, and if everything is OK he should be ready to go, I would think."

Barbosa said his right arm is still "a little weak" and there is some swelling, but he added that if he feels comfortable Thursday he likely will play Friday.

"I'm very hungry to come back and help my teammates," he said. "We'll see what happens."

He said his fitness is good.

"The wind is great," he said. "The trainers have been pushing me really hard, and I appreciate that. I don't think I will have a problem with that."

Healing time

Steve Nash didn't get much of a break during All-Star weekend between taking part in the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver and in the All-Star Skills Challenge and the All-Star Game.

With no game until Friday, he has a chance to work on his beaten-up body as the Suns prepare for their final 17 games. "