Baron Davis returned Monday for his first practice with the Knicks.
The injured point guard could make his debut Saturday in Houston for the finale of their four-game road trip, according to sources.
The Knicks prefer to start Davis on the road because there would be less pressure for him to perform. But if he has the slightest setback during practices, his debut would be pushed back to against the Pistons at Madison Square Garden next Tuesday.
Davis has, as expected, beaten the timetable his agent, Todd Ramasar, set in mid-December of “at least eight to 10 weeks’’ to recover from his back injury.
Davis has been reluctant to publicly set a date because it hinges on his day-to-day progress and he doesn’t want to be disappointed.
“Every team goes through adversity,” Davis said. “This is our adversity. There was all the hype about us winning the championship. Judge us at the end of the season. Our goal is to be ready by April.’’
* The Knicks announced an hour after Saturday’s game rookie center Josh Harrellson’s fall late in the first OT caused him to break his right wrist and he’ll be out six weeks, with surgery scheduled this week.
Harrellson has been an important piece to the rotation, playing in all 16 games, averaging 18.5 minutes, 5.3 points and 4.3 rebounds, and has been praised often by coach Mike D’Antoni for his strong defense and ability to hit 3-pointers.
* Rookie Iman Shumpert again experienced cramping and missed most of the two OTs. Before games, Shumpert, who had 18 points, seven assists and two steals against the Nuggets, has been eating stacks of sliced melon to combat dehydration.