HOUSTON -- Jalen Johnson has been cleared to return to full team practice and the Hawks forward is nearing a return from a left distal radius fracture, the team announced Wednesday.
Johnson has been out since Nov. 25 and missed 11 games after leaving the game against the Wizards. The team said his status will be updated when appropriate. Johnson started 12 of the 15 games he has appeared in this season, including the last 10 prior to the injury.
In addition, guard Kobe Bufkin, who has been out since Nov. 2 with a left thumb fracture, has been cleared to return to full team practice.
Forward Mouhamed Gueye, who has been out with a right low back stress fracture, underwent a CT scan on Monday. He has been cleared to begin light on-court individual workouts. He will be re-evaluated in four weeks.
Following the team’s shootaround ahead of Wednesday’s game, Johnson, Bufkin and Gueye participated in a workout with some of the team’s player development coaches. Johnson and Bufkin worked out for more than one hour following the conclusion of the team’s shootaround.
Gueye wrapped up his workout a little sooner than Johnson and Bufkin.
The team has already ruled out Johnson and Bufkin for Wednesday’s game in Houston and it is unlikely the two will suit up for the Hawks matchup against the Heat on Friday. But their return to full practice activities signal that their return to play could be sooner rather than later.
Guard AJ Griffin remains out for personal reasons.
Guard Bogdan Bogdanovic, who missed the past two games with right ankle inflammation, remains questionable for tonight’s game against the Rockets.
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