The Atlanta Hawks might be close to full strength when they meet the Bulls in the play-in tournament.
Trae Young, who has been out since Feb. 23 after undergoing surgery for a torn ligament in his finger, has been cleared to resume practice and contact, the team announced Monday.
The All-Star point guard has averaged 26.4 points and a career-high 10.8 assists per in 51 games this season. Young shot just 29% in two games against the Bulls this season but averaged 13.5 assists in what were two Chicago victories.
The Hawks defeated the Bulls without Young in their third and final matchup on April 1.
Atlanta has gone 11-10 since losing Young in February. Backcourt mate Dejounte Murray has helped fill the void by averaging 26.7 points per game during the month of March.
The Hawks have four games remaining, with Marc Stein reporting that Young has said he hopes to play before the regular season ends.
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The Bulls hold a one-game lead over the Hawks, plus the tiebreaker, for the ninth seed in the East. The two teams are set to meet in a single-elimination game on April 17, with the winner advancing to play the loser of the East's No. 7 vs. No. 8 matchup for a chance to claim the final playoff berth on April 19.
The winner of that game advances to face the top-seeded Boston Celtics in a best-of-seven series.
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