The New York Knicks entered the All-Star break with a lot of momentum on their side. This team has won five out of their last six games prior to the mid-season hiatus, and they are obviously looking to keep their foot on the gas after the break. They have now received some good news on the Mitchell Robinson injury front, with the 24-year-old seeming to close in on his return to action.

The big news for Mitchell is that he participated in practice on Thursday, per SNY. The 7-foot center has not played for the Knicks for over a month now, and he was not cleared for contact prior to the All-Star break. It remains unclear how active he was in practice or the type of workouts he was able to take part in, but the fact remains that this is indeed a positive development for both New York and Robinson.

For his part, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau has refused to commit to Robinson making his return to action on Friday against the Washington Wizards. However, the fact that he's even talking about it seems to point to the notion that Mitchell Robinson's return is imminent.

Robinson is no star and he is not the player who's going to lead this squad to the playoffs this season. However, there's no denying that he's an integral part of the rotation, and his presence on the floor makes the Knicks a much more formidable side, particularly on the defensive end. In 38 games played this season, the former West Kentucky standout has produced averages of 7.2 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks in 26.9 minutes per contest.