Milwaukee Bucks center Larry Sanders participated in "full-contact" practice and will likely return to the court when the team tips off against the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night, Charles Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
In the midst of a breakout season with Milwaukee, Sanders suffered a back injury while taking a hard fall in the fourth quarter of a game against the Denver Nuggets on Feb. 5. Initially described as a "minor injury," it's taken the big man a couple weeks to get back into playing condition.
With a relatively light schedule going into the All-Star break, the Bucks have been able to be cautious with Sanders in bringing him back. He's only missed four games despite being out for 13 days, though he's not a lock to return Tuesday -- Gardner characterized his odds of playing at 70 percent.
Though it was a relief to discover that Sanders suffered no structural damage, you'd like to have your best players playing without back pain. In 45 games this season, Sanders has averaged 8.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and a league-leading 3.2 blocks in 25.4 minutes per game.