In a sense, Raymond Felton will be making his return from injury tonight.
Felton sprained his left ankle late in the third quarter of the Knicks’ Game 2 over the Pacers at the Garden on Tuesday. The invaluable point guard did not return to the rout, and there was initial concern for Felton, who was limping in the locker room after the game.
“A little bit [worried],” Felton said yesterday. “But after a while, the next day, I was OK.”
Felton is full “go” for Game 3 tonight in Indianapolis. He declared the ankle feels 100 percent and even said he could have returned in Game 2 if necessary.
“If the game would have been a little different, then it would have been difficult [to sit],” he said. “But if I needed to, I would have gone back in the game.”
Felton has been the Knicks’ most consistent playoff performer, their MVP of the Boston series. With Derrick Rose, Rajon Rondo and Deron Williams injured or eliminated, Felton has a strong case as the best point guard remaining in the Eastern Conference.
For the playoffs, Felton is averaging 16.9 points, 4.8 assists, 3.5 rebounds and just 1.8 turnovers while shooting a superb 50 percent from the field and a solid 36 percent on 3-pointers. In two games against Indiana, he is averaging 16.0 points, 3.0 assists, 2.0 rebounds and 0.5 turnovers, shooting 62 percent from the floor and a perfect 3-of-3 from deep.
This is just the third time in his career Felton, who turns 29 next month and is in his eighth season, has appeared in the playoffs. It is the first time he has escaped the first round.
“I always think about that once I go into the season,” he said. “Now the opportunity’s here, so I’m trying to take advantage of it. We’re all trying to take advantage of it.”