Jalen Brunson, who has been sidelined for one month with an ankle sprain, will return to the Knicks' practice sessions this Friday.
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, sidelined since March 6 due to a right ankle sprain, is nearing his return to the lineup.
Brunson has been cleared for basketball activities and is expected to practice on Friday. If all goes well, he could make his comeback this weekend, potentially playing against the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday or the Phoenix Suns on Sunday.
Brunson suffered the injury in a 113-109 overtime loss against the Los Angeles Lakers. With 1:24 left in OT, he drove to the basket and stepped on Austin Reaves' foot, rolling his ankle significantly in the process.
Brunson's return is timely, as he needs to participate in at least four more games to meet the NBA's 65-game eligibility requirement for postseason awards. Achieving this would keep him in contention for honors such as All-NBA and Clutch Player of the Year.
During Brunson's absence, the Knicks have maintained an 8-6 record, with players like OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges stepping up offensively. Head coach Tom Thibodeau has praised the team's depth and resilience amid injuries.
The Knicks' upcoming schedule includes games against the Hawks on Saturday, the Suns on Sunday, and the Celtics on Tuesday. Brunson's potential return could provide a significant boost as the team aims to solidify its playoff positioning.said Sunday he is feeling and moving better on his sprained right ankle and still hoping to rejoin the New York Knicks before the playoffs.
“Realistically, I’m hoping to play before the playoffs,” Brunson said. “I think it’s good for me to get some game reps before we go into that type of stretch run, but most importantly I want to make sure I’m 100% healthy.”
Jalen Brunson
| Team: |
New York Knicks |
| Position: | PG |
| Age: | 28 |
| Height: | 191 cm |
| Weight: | 86 kg |
| Birth place: | New Jersey, United States of America |
Initially, Brunson was projected to miss about two weeks, but his absence is now expected to extend to 3-4 weeks.
Injury episode:
Brunson ranks seventh in the NBA in scoring at 26.3 points per game.
He spoke to reporters Sunday for the first time since and said he is able to sprint and has been cleared for basketball activities, but he’s still not ready for basketball games. The Knicks have eight left after Sunday before the regular season ends April 13.
He is hoping to be fully healthy before he returns but would be open to doing so even if not, if the team’s medical staff gives the OK.
“Obviously, I want to feel 100% but a lot of this is also mental, just making sure I can trust everything I do,” Brunson said. “So it’s just a conversation for us to have.”
The Knicks entered 6-5 since he went out to remain in third place in the Eastern Conference and have clinched a playoff spot, even though backup point guards Deuce McBride and Cam Payne both remain out of the lineup with their own injuries.
“We said this all along from the standpoint of, you’re not going to replace Jalen individually, we have to do it collectively,” coach Tom Thibodeau said, “and I think we’ve done that.”
Brunson has played in 61 games and needs to play in four more to be eligible for awards after the season. Asked if that was important, Brunson said: “Individually yeah, but I just want to make sure I’m fully healthy before anything.”
