After a nine-game absence, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is back.

The Oklahoma City Thunder‘s superstar point guard will make his return from an abdominal strain on Friday night, when the defending champions host the Denver Nuggets in a nationally televised game on ESPN.

While Gilgeous-Alexander is off the injury report and will play some role in the game, the reigning NBA MVP is likely to have his minutes monitored in some capacity, as head coach Mark Daigneault tries to ease his lead guard back into action.

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Is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on a minutes restriction?

Daigneault has yet to confirm whether Gilgeous-Alexander will be on a minutes restriction for the game against Denver, which tips up at 8:30 p.m. Central.

However, it is not unreasonable to assume that Gilgeous-Alexander will be capped at around 25 minutes, given that the Thunder’s superior depth has proven itself capable of withstanding his absence over the past few weeks.

Gilgeous-Alexander can miss only six more games this season in order to clear the NBA’s 65-game threshold and remain eligible for postseason awards — including the MVP.

In 49 games this season, Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 31.8 points per game and is within striking distance of the Los Angeles Lakers‘ Luka Doncic in the scoring race.

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