Ersan Ilyasova is finally ready to rejoin the Milwaukee Bucks.
Ilyasova will play his first contest of the new year Thursday against the New York Knicks in London, England after missing 10 games due to a concussion, according to Jim Paschke of NBA.com. The forward practiced with the team Tuesday and is set for his first game since logging 16 minutes in a loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Dec. 23.
It's been a rocky season for Ilyasova, who missed 19 of the Bucks' last 20 games with a pair of concussions. He was forced out of action for nine games with a concussion before returning for one contest and suffering another head injury.
The Bucks wisely didn't rush him back to the court this time and will now have him in the lineup for the NBA's second and final Global Games contest of the season.
Ilyasova averaged 9.8 points and shot 48.8 percent from the field in 18.5 minutes - his lowest total since his rookie season - over 20 games before the second concussion kept him sidelined for three weeks.
The surprising Bucks take a 20-19 record, good for fifth place in the Eastern Conference, into the contest against a Knicks team riding a franchise-worst 15-game losing streak.
