A back-to-back set this weekend started as well as it could for New York Knicks.
Things can be even better on Sunday evening with Jalen Brunson who may return from a month -long absence when Knicks hosts Phoenix Suns.
New York won despite the absence of Brunson and Mitchell Robinson on Saturday when it rolled to a victory 121-105 over values Atlanta Hawks.
Suns will complete a three-game road trip after their losing line hit five games on Friday night with a setback of 123-103 to Boston Celtics.
Brunson, who was hit by an enhanced right ankle in an overtime loss of 113-109 to Los Angeles Lakers on March 6, worked with Knicks before Saturday’s game. New York is 9-6 without Brunson, who leads the team with 26.3 points and 7.4 assists per match.
“He is very close – when he is ready we know,” said Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau. “If he can play he will play. And if it’s better for him not to play, he won’t play.”
If Brunson returns on Sunday, he will find Knicks (49-28) in no worse form than when he was injured-if all-Star Point Guard is far from the only player that New York has been forced to play without in the route.
Knicks leads Indiana Pacers with three matches in the race for the third seed in the Eastern Conference. New York had a 3/2 game lead over fourth place Milwaukee Bucks after the loss to the Lakers.
Brunson’s replacement in the starting lineup, Miles McBride, has missed the last eight matches with a left groin injury. Robinson, who made his season debut on February 28 after completing the left ankle surgery in May last year, has put out five of the last 15 matches due to maintenance.
“There are some moving parts here where we try to reinterate players who come back after being out for a while,” Thibodeau said. “So there is that challenge too.”
The challenges this season have been of the unexpected kind of Suns (35-42), who returned their large three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal and expected to challenge for the NBA title after hiring Mike Budenholzer to replace Frank Vogel.
But the Durant-Booker-Beal-Trio has started together only 23 times.
While Booker has played 71 out of 77 matches, Durant has been limited to 62 competitions and is expected to miss his third straight game on Sunday with a stowed left ankle. Beal has appeared in just 49 games and returned on Friday after missing eight games in a row with a strained left hamstring.
Suns enters Sunday two matches behind Sacramento Kings in the race for 10th place in the Western Conference and the last place in the Play-in tournament. Phoenix has three home games before a visit to Kings in the season finale on April 13.
“We have another game on this trip,” Budenholzer said. “We have to find a way to win a profit-get a few more winnings, find a way to get into play-in.”
-Field level media
