CLEVELAND — Jalen Brunson traveled with the Knicks on their road trip and is likely to participate in the next 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.
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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 four more games to qualify for postseason awards.
If he doesn’t play in both 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.
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Brunson is a top candidate for both All-NBA and Clutch Player of the Year.
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.
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“We’ve dealt with [injuries] all year. Mitch [Robinson] missed the first 60 games of the season. That’s a lot,” Thibodeau said. “It was an opportunity for other guys to get in there and grow. We’re seeing it now with Jalen being out. We have more than enough. Next guy get in there and get the job done. Understand what the job is, get in there and execute.”
Miles McBridemissed his seventh straight game Wednesday with a groin injury and Cam Paynesat his fourth consecutive with an ankle sprain.
But Thibodeau indicated both were on the brink of returning.
“Deuce and Cam should 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 because of knee soreness, started at center for the Knicks in Cleveland but struggled with fouls and turnovers.
