Knicks' Jalen Brunson Reportedly Set to Return from Ankle Injury vs. Suns

All-Star guard Jalen Brunson is set to return for the New York Knicks on Sunday, ending what will have been a 15-game absence due to an ankle injury, per NBA insider Chris Haynes.

While Brunson is set to miss his 15th consecutive contest Saturday when the Knicks face the Atlanta Hawks on the road, he will reportedly be back in action for Sunday's home game against the Phoenix Suns.

Brunson rolled his ankle during a 113-109 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on March 6, and entering play Saturday, the Knicks had gone 8-6 over the past month without Brunson in the lineup.

The 28-year-old Brunson is in the midst of his third season in New York on the heels of four seasons as a member of the Dallas Mavericks.

While Brunson was a star on the rise in Dallas, he has truly broken out and become one of the best offensive players in the NBA with the Knicks.

After finishing 12th in NBA MVP voting in his first season in New York, Brunson was named an All-Star for the first time last season, plus he finished fifth in the MVP race.

Brunson averaging a career-high 28.7 points per game on 47.9 percent shooting to go along with 6.7 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 2.7 three-pointers made.

With the Knicks adding Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges to the roster, Brunson's scoring average has dipped slightly this season to 26.3, but it can be argued that he has been just as good or even better than he was last season.

Brunson is averaged a career-high 7.4 assists and 1.0 steal per game, plus his 49.0 percent shooting from the floor represents an uptick in efficiency from last season.

At 48-28, the Knicks are the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference. They hold a 2.5-game lead over the Indiana Pacers for that distinction with six games left to be played.

If Brunson returns Sunday as expected, he will do so with five games remaining on New York's regular-season, giving him ample time to get back in a rhythm before the start of the playoffs.

When fully healthy, there is perhaps no team in the NBA with a better starting five than the Knicks, as Brunson, Towns, Bridges, OG Anunoby and Josh Hart have combined to average 100 points per game this season.

With Brunson leading the way, the Knicks likely have the best chance of any team in the Eastern Conference to give the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers and second-seeded Boston Celtics a run for their money come playoff time.