Jalen Brunson has not played for the New York Knicks since suffering a sprained right ankle on Mar. 6 against the Los Angeles Lakers. With the Knicks on the verge of locking up the 3-seed in the Eastern Conference before the playoffs, Brunson appears to be gearing up to make his return from this ankle injury.
After the All-Star guard recently told reporters that he's been feeling a lot better and doing on-court work, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau provided a minor update on Brunson's status after the team's 124-105 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night.
Although he still has some checkpoints to cross before fully returning, Thibodeau said Brunson has been cleared for “basketball activities,” according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post.
Brunson traveled with the team to Cleveland, and he will be with them again in Atlanta for Saturday's game, leading to speculation that he could be cleared in time to play against Trae Young and the Hawks.
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With two full days off to prepare in Atlanta, Brunson can continue to receive around-the-clock treatment on his ankle and have the medical staff evaluate his on-court work. If he can practice in full with no limitations, there is real optimism that he will return either Saturday against the Hawks or on Sunday in the second night of a back-to-back when the Knicks host the Phoenix Suns.
The important factor for Brunson to return at this stage of the season is the dreaded 65-game minimum rule for players to remain eligible for postseason awards and honors. Brunson has played 61 games for the Knicks, meaning he will need to play at least 20 minutes in four of their remaining six games to qualify for the All-NBA list.
In the 14 games that Brunson missed, the Knicks have gone 8-6 with some concerning losses to the San Antonio Spurs and Charlotte Hornets in this span.
The Knicks are currently 48-28 following Wednesday's loss in Cleveland and own the fifth-best record in the NBA, and third-best in the Eastern Conference. Further updates on Jalen Brunson's health will be provided by the team over the next 48 hours.