Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, who has been sidelined since March 6 with a sprained right ankle, continues progressing toward a return. The team announced that he has started doing controlled court work, and his status will be updated in “approximately one week.”
Saturday night will mark the eighth game Brunson has missed since suffering the injury in the closing minutes of an overtime loss to the Lakers. Since then, New York has gone 3-4 and remains in third place in the East, three games ahead of Indiana.
With their playoff position virtually set, there’s no reason for the Knicks to bring back Brunson before he’s fully healed. A report earlier this week said he’s out of his walking boot and has been cleared to do some “light shooting.”
ESPN’s Shams Charania stated last Saturday that the severity of Brunson’s ankle injury makes it “more of a three- to four-week minimum return time frame.”
Brunson is in the midst of another stellar season, averaging 26.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 7.4 assists per night and making his second straight All-Star appearance. He’s a strong contender for All-NBA honors, but he’ll have to play four more times to meet the NBA’s 65-game criteria.
