Brunson looks good in practice; Anunoby’s return is imminent
NEW YORK — OG Anunoby is nearing a return, Mitchell Robinson has progressed to running and jumping, Julius Randle is taking light contact and Jalen Brunson should return soon, though his status for Friday’s matchup against the Orlando Magic has yet to be determined.
A depleted Knicks team saw all four of its missing starters participate to varying degrees during practice at the Tarrytown training facility on Thursday.
The head of the snake, Brunson, who suffered a knee bruise in Sunday’s matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers, took part in “most of practice,” head coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters.
The All-star guard’s status for Friday’s matchup against the Magic hinges on how he feels ahead of tipoff. And after he suffered the injury on the very first possession of the Knicks’ victory in Cleveland and needed assistance off the court into the locker room, Thibodeau is unsure whether or not Brunson will be listed as questionable, probable or out altogether.
Without Brunson, the Knicks lost by 16 to the Atlanta Hawks, who were without All-star guard Trae Young.
“He looked regular, looked good. Practice is a lot of starting and stopping so it’s kind of hard to judge [if a player has overcome an injury] sometimes,” Josh Hart said after practice on Thursday. “But [he] looked good, looked confident and not like he was limping or dragging his leg or nervous to make movements, so that’s obviously a positive.”
Anunoby return imminent: Thibodeau said Anunoby is now day-today after undergoing surgery on his right elbow in early February.
Anunoby last played in the Knicks’ Jan. 27 matchup against the Miami Heat. He discovered inflammation in his shooting elbow shortly after.
A loose bone fragment in his elbow caused the swelling, and he went under the needle to address the issue.
Anunoby was a full participant in Knicks practice on Thursday, even playing in what Bojan Bogdanovic described as a “really, really competitive” five-on-five scrimmage.
There remains no concrete timetable for Anunoby’s return to the floor, but by all accounts, he will be the first of the three — including Randle and Robinson — to return to the rotation for the Knicks.
Randle progressing: Randle was a limited participant in Thursday’s practice, said Thibodeau.
The All-star forward dislocated his shoulder in the final minutes of the Jan. 27 victory over the Heat and has since opted to forego season-ending surgery, instead deciding to rehab in hopes of making a return this season.
Robinson sooner rather than later?
The Knicks feared Robinson’s surgery would be season-ending after a “wrong step” in a Dec. 8 loss to the Boston Celtics turned out to be a stress fracture in his left ankle.
Robinson, however, walked swiftly out of the practice arena on Thursday and had a normal gait about him as he cruised through the Madison Square Garden corridors ahead of tipoff against the Hawks.