MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Minnesota Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman has been trying to keep a lid on his wife's health issues that caused him to be away from the team for three weeks, preferring to deal with the situation privately while keeping his eye on the team from afar.
Mary Kay didn't seem to understand why, so Rick Adelman relented on Tuesday, one day after he returned to the team from his hiatus. Rick Adelman said his wife is suffering from seizures and doctors still haven't figured out what has been causing them.
``It's just a process now,'' Adelman said after practice. ``We don't know why. We have no clue why it happened. No one can figure it out. Now it's a matter of finding it out. How do you manage it? What do you do with it? How do you go forward? ... The good thing is she's home.''
Rick Adelman missed 11 games to be by Mary Kay's side as she went through treatments and met with doctors. For a man who has spent more than two decades in the NBA diagnosing what is going wrong on the court and trying to figure out how to fix his teams' problems, it's been a frustrating process of searching for answers that have yet to come.
``They have no idea why,'' he said. ``There is no rhyme or reason as to why she had it. Usually you bump your head sometime or something happened or you're sick. They have no reason. That's been the hardest part, is not knowing why.''
Mary Kay's situation appears to have stabilized enough now so that the coach feels comfortable returning to work. He will coach on Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Clippers, the first time he's been on the bench for a game since Jan. 5. The Timberwolves went 2-9 in Adelman's absence, with injuries continuing to cause problems for a team that has dealt with them all season long. The Wolves are 17-24, in last place in the Northwest Division and have lost four straight games as they prepare to open a challenging six-game homestand that also includes games against the Lakers, Spurs, Trail Blazers and Knicks.
``We've got to figure something out,'' he said.
The Timberwolves expect to get center Nikola Pekovic and guard Alexey Shved back from injuries as well, giving them a glimmer of hope that they can turn things around and get back into the Western Conference playoff picture.
Their biggest reason for renewed confidence may be Adelman's return. The coach is widely considered one of the best in the league and helped revive a long-suffering franchise when he came aboard last season.
``He's our coach. He's the main guy and I know that there's a lot more confidence in the guys and with everything with him on the bench,'' Pekovic said.
The Wolves re-signed Chris Johnson and Mickael Gelabale on Tuesday, the second 10-day contract for both players. Johnson especially has been a pleasant surprise, giving the team some athleticism and energy in the paint. At the end of their contracts, both players will either have to be signed for the remainder of the season or let go.
Neither player was around before Adelman left the team on Jan. 7, and point guard Ricky Rubio was still coming off the bench while the Wolves eased him back into action coming off his torn left ACL. So Adelman will have some adjusting to do as he prepares to take over again.
``I've got to figure out how I want to play, who I want to play out on the court, figure out what the matchups are and talk to the coaches,'' he said. ``I don't think it'll take too long. I really don't. ``
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