Utah Jazz point guard Mike Conley has been cleared to play in Friday night’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves after missing nine games with an injured left knee.
Conley will be on a minutes restriction during his first contest since Nov. 19.
“I’ve been working, and we’re still working through some things, but the only way to get through it is to kind of work your way back in it and test the water,” Conley told reporters after the mid-day shootaround.
Conley, 35, is averaging 10.2 points and 7.9 assists in 17 games this season, his fourth in Utah after playing 12 seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies.
While Conley returns, backcourt mate Collin Sexton will be sidelined and slated to miss at least one week with a right hamstring strain.
Sexton was injured during Wednesday’s 124-123 home win over the Golden State Warriors. An MRI exam conducted Thursday detected the severity.
Sexton is averaging 14.3 points and 3.0 assists in 27 games (10 starts). He is in his first season with the Jazz after being acquired in the offseason deal that sent All-Star Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Also, forward Lauri Markkanen (illness) is listed as questionable. He missed the win over the Warriors.
Markkanen, who also came to Utah in the Mitchell trade, leads the Jazz in scoring (22.2) and rebounds (8.5) while playing 26 games.
Utah’s game versus the Timberwolves figures to be emotional as three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert makes his first visit to Salt Lake City since being dealt to Minnesota by the Jazz in the offseason.
–Field Level Media