CLEVELAND — Jalen Brunson traveled with the Knicks on their road trip and is more likely to take part in the following practice.
“He’s cleared for basketball activities,” coach Tom Thibodeau said with a smile before the Knicks’ 124-105 loss to the Cavaliers on Wednesday night.
The Knicks have two days off between road games against the Cavs and the Hawks, so Friday is a natural practice day.
Assuming Brunson participates, logic suggests he’ll return over the weekend — either Saturday against the Hawks or Sunday at home against the Suns.
Brunson hasn’t played since spraining his ankle on March 6.
He needs 4 more games to qualify for postseason awards.
If he doesn’t play in each games of back-to-back sets (the Knicks have two more of those), a return by this weekend will get him exactly to the 65-game threshold by the season finale in Brooklyn on April 13.
Brunson is a top candidate for each All-NBA and Clutch Player of the Yr.
The Knicks are 8-6 since Brunson’s injury, with OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges picking up the scoring slack vacated by the team captain.
“We’ve handled [injuries] all 12 months. Mitch [Robinson] missed the primary 60 games of the season. That’s quite a bit,” Thibodeau said. “It was a chance for other guys to get in there and grow. We’re seeing it now with Jalen being out. We now have good enough. Next guy get in there and get the job done. Understand what the job is, get in there and execute.”
Miles McBride missed his seventh straight game Wednesday with a groin injury and Cam Payne sat his fourth consecutive with an ankle sprain.
But Thibodeau indicated each were getting ready to returning.
“Deuce and Cam must be any day,” Thibodeau said.
After having one his best performances in Tuesday’s win over the Sixers, Mitchell Robinson again sat one leg of a back-to-back Wednesday — a consistent trend since he returned from ankle surgery.
Karl-Anthony Towns, who missed the Sixers game due to knee soreness, began at center for the Knicks in Cleveland but struggled with fouls and turnovers.
