New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson returned to action Sunday and scored 15 points in a 112-98 victory over the Phoenix Suns after missing the past month due to a right ankle sprain.

Brunson, cleared for basketball activities before last Wednesday’s loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers, practiced at Georgia Tech on Friday prior to Saturday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks. Despite not playing in Atlanta, he was back on the court at Madison Square Garden against the Suns after missing 15 games.

Brunson was given a significant workload upon his return, playing 34 minutes. He shot 3 of 9 from the field, including 1 of 4 from three-point range, but accomplished 8 out of 10 from the free-throw line and provided six assists.

Brunson expressed to reporters that he felt ‘surprised’ by his level of conditioning, though he struggled to find his rhythm and trust his ankle. He stated:

“Everyone always talks about the physical part, about how you’re feeling or whatever, but mentally it’s just trusting it. Trusting your movements, trusting the way you play, and everything, and not second-guessing yourself.”

OG Anunoby led the Knicks with 32 points while Mikal Bridges contributed 22 points, and Karl-Anthony Towns added 19 points and 13 rebounds.

This game marked Brunson’s 62nd of the season, with 20-plus minutes logged in each. If he remains fit enough to play for the upcoming week, he should meet the NBA’s 65-game threshold for end-of-season awards.

The Knicks have four games remaining in the regular season, starting against Boston at home on Tuesday, followed by back-to-back games against Detroit and Cleveland, and concluding the regular season at Brooklyn next Sunday.