Brooklyn Nets guard D’Angelo Russell will be available Friday to play in his first game since injuring his knee two months ago.
The Nets made the announcement following their morning shoot-around at Barclay’s Center, after initially listing Russell as “probable” for the game.
Russell went down on Nov. 11 in a game against the Utah Jazz after a collision with another player forced him landed awkwardly and injure his left knee. Team doctors decided the best course of action was arthroscopic surgery, with no definitive timetable for his return.
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The former Laker started showing signs of improvement earlier this month. He had been practicing with the Long Island Nets, Brooklyn’s G League affiliate, and participated in a “full on” practice on Jan. 15. Russell regained confidence in his abilities as his recovery went along.
“I’ve been going through the rehab process every day,” Russel told NBA.com's Tom Dowd. “Pushing it. Yesterday I would say I felt like I pushed it to where I could be out there on the court again.”
In the 13 games prior to his injury, Russell averaged 20.9 points, 5.7 assists, and 4.7 rebounds in 28 minutes, shooting 46.8 percent overall and 30 percent from 3-point range. He still remains the Nets leading scorer per game.
The 21-year-old will return to a roster that has looked out of sync in recent games. The Nets have lost six of their past seven, and sit 13th in the Eastern Conference with a record of 16-29. They went 11-22 while Russell was hurt. It’s no wonder that his teammates are happy to have him back.
“Anybody of his caliber that comes back, it’s bound to make your team a better team, a better unit,” Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie told NBA.com. “We’re just excited to have him.”