Jeremy Lin, Tyson Chandler and Baron Davis are all in various stages of disrepair. But while Chandler and Davis are questionable for Sunday, Lin won't return before Game 4 at the earliest. There was good news, bad news and no news at Knicks practice on Sunday.
In the wake of Saturday's 100-67 Game 1 loss to the Miami Heat—an embarrassment that's exacerbated by the loss of Iman Shumpert to a torn ACL—point guard Jeremy Lin told reporters that he believes there's a chance he can return from his April 2nd knee surgery before the end of this first-round series
Lin, who tore a meniscus in his left knee in late March, took part in one-on-one drills before Saturday's game. But while he felt good at the time, Lin admitted to some soreness afterward.
"I was more encouraged by what I did yesterday and less encouraged by how I felt today," he told reporters, as quoted by Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.
Lin thinks the earliest he could return is Game 4, but he won't know for sure until he takes part in some contact drills later this week.
In other Knicks news, center Tyson Chandler continues to deal with the flu. He's being described as questionable for Game 2 on Monday and didn't attend practice on Sunday.
Chandler did not score in 21 minutes on Saturday. He finished with three rebounds, seven turnovers, four fouls and a -19 plus-minus rating. Interim coach Mike Woodson told the media that he's unsure if Chandler can play in Game 2.
Baron Davis' sore back limited him to 17 minutes in the Game 1 loss and he's going to be a game-time decision on Monday. He did tell the media that he expects to play against the Heat in Game 2, according to multiple reports.
With Shumpert, Davis and Lin suffering, veteran Mike Bibby and swingman J.R. Smith are going to have to shoulder a lot of the play-making responsibilities.