Steve Nash is back but for how long?

It remains to be seen whether Steve Nash’s return to the Los Angeles Lakers Tuesday night is the start of something good for the point guard from Victoria or the beginning of the end of his NBA career.

Nash, who had not played a game in 86 days this season because of a back injury, looked sharp in a 109-99 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, scoring seven points and handing out nine assists. Originally scheduled to play the first eight minutes of each half, Nash was on the court for nearly 25 minutes.

“It’s about as good as I felt this season,” Nash told Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times, noting some twinges in his back. “There’s some feelings for sure, but I don’t mind some pain. I don’t mind some discomfort as long as I can move well and recover.”

Certainly the verve was up for Nash. He called his own number less than a minute into the game, swishing a 16-foot jumper and later engaging in a minor assists duel with Timberwolves guard Ricky Rubio. He also set up Wesley Johnson with an alley pop from half court.

Nash, who turns 40 on Friday, has one year left on a contract that originally teamed him up with Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard, conjuring images of another Lakers’ title run. It has been anything but that. Howard left for the Houston Rockets after one season and Bryant’s injury status has mirrored that of Nash. Bryant missed his 42nd game of the season last night because of an Achilles injury. Pau Gasol is the latest high-profile Laker on the injured list, amid talk of a possible trade to Phoenix. Meanwhile, the Lakers have won 16 games this season and have allowed at least 100 points in 15 consecutive games.

Nash’s return indicates retirement is not an option yet for him. With all the Laker woes, it would have been far too easy to shut it down. Yet, Nash has to acknowledge, however tacitly, that the end of his career looms and that it will probably be approached in measured steps. His minutes will be heavily monitored — he will not play in Cleveland tonight — as the Lakers see how his back deals with the pounding and the speed of the NBA game. If Nash remains healthy and is productive in those minutes, he’ll continue to play. If not, his career is over.