LOS ANGELES — Kobe Bryant could be excused for harboring a little grudge after Dwyane Wade broke his nose and gave him a concussion with a hard foul in the All-Star game, of all places.

Instead, Bryant professes nothing but love his fellow U.S. Olympian, even when the injuries required him to wear a sweaty protective mask in his first game back.

And if Bryant had any hidden frustration about the whole situation, he probably took it out on the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Bryant had 31 points, seven rebounds and eight assists while playing in that uncomfortable mask, and Los Angeles returned from the All-Star break with its 17th consecutive win over the Timberwolves, 104-85 on Wednesday night.

Pau Gasol scored 15 points and Andrew Bynum had 13 points and 13 rebounds for the Lakers, who improved to 15-1 at home since losing their Christmas opener.

Michael Beasley and Martell Webster scored 14 points apiece as the Timberwolves played the middle game of a back-to-back-to-back set without Kevin Love, who sat out with an apparent case of the flu.

“From the start, they played harder than us,” Beasley said. “They wanted it more than we did. They were playing physical from the beginning. It got us out of our game, and we couldn’t fight back.”

Minnesota couldn’t duplicate its stellar shooting in an impressive win over the Clippers one night earlier, going 5 for 20 in the decisive third quarter of the Wolves’ second loss in their last seven games.

Rookie forward Derrick Williams, from nearby La Mirada, Calif., had 10 points while taking Love’s starting spot for Minnesota, which finishes its three-night odyssey on Thursday in Phoenix. Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman said he decided to rest Love in hopes he’ll be ready to play in the third game of the set.