Jameer Nelson practiced with his Orlando Magic teammates today and "it's increasingly likely that he'll be able to play" in tomorrow's game against the Utah Jazz, reports Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. More from Nelson:
"My plan was just to do as much as I could," Nelson said. "I guess I deal with pain better than some guys, but I didn’t feel any pain today. It was a little weak or whatever, and that’s to be expected, because I sat off of it for a few days.
"I’m going to be smart about it, just still play it day by day, and if I’m able to play tomorrow, I’m able to play. If I’m not, I’m not."
Nelson sprained his left ankle in Friday's game against the New Jersey Nets and has missed the Magic's last two contests, wins over the Charlotte Bobcats and Atlanta Hawks. Chris Duhon and Jason Williams have picked up some of the slack in his absence, averaging a combined 16 assists and 2 turnovers with Nelson out.
However, the lack of scoring punch from the point guard spot has put a greater burden on Orlando's other players at the offensive end. Nelson currently ranks third on the team in scoring, averaging 12.5 points per game. In contrast, Duhon and Williams combine to average 6.5 points.
If Nelson can't go tomorrow night, his next opportunity will come Friday against the Toronto Raptors.