Crisis averted.
Danilo Gallinari bounced down a back hallway at Pepsi Center, smiling wide, fresh off participating in Friday morning’s shootaround in advance of the Nuggets’ game against Phoenix.
He immediately declared himself ready to play.
“The knee is good,” Gallinari said. “It is better than a couple of days ago. So, I’m ready to play tonight.”
Gallinari removed himself from Wednesday’s game at Phoenix due to soreness in his surgically repaired left knee. He did not play in the second half of that contest.
“It was the first time that we increased the minutes a little bit, it was the first back-to-back,” Gallinari said. “The knee was not used to it for a while. So it got a little sore. But we were able to get treatment and so I’m going to be ready tonight.”
Gallinari said he’ll have a wait-and-see approach in playing in future back-to-back situations, but hasn’t been ruled out for those. He didn’t sound worried about any future complications.
“It depends on how the knee responds,” Gallinari said. “But I think the more we get through the season, the more I’ll be able to play back-to-backs. It’s just the first one, and the first one after playing a lot more minutes in the last few games. So, I’m ready tonight.”
Meanwhile, Nuggets center JaVale McGee (tibia), did not participate in shootaround and is not expected to play tonight against the Suns. He’s missed the Nuggets last two games as he rests.
Christopher Dempsey: cdempsey@denverpost.com or
