Steve Nash’s return a possibility for Saturday

Steve Nash worked through his first full-contact practice with the Lakers since suffering a non-displaced leg fracture in the second game of the season. The Lakers have struggled since, losing 14 of their first 26 games, currently 12th in the Western Conference.

The team originally had hoped that Nash would be out just a few weeks after the injury but nerve irritation kept him sidelined.

After Thursday morning’s practice, Nash said, “It felt pretty good. It went well. Maybe I felt a little bit better than I thought I’d feel, but we’ll see how it feels in the morning. It’s obviously a big barometer.”

Nash noted that the Christmas Day game Tuesday against the New York Knicks might be more “realistic,” but that a return on Saturday against the Golden State Warriors remains a possibility.

“It depends on how well I respond today and tomorrow,” said Nash. “We don’t really need to rush it. I don’t want to come back too soon.... I don’t want to miss another 10 games because I aggravated it.”

Nash said he’s still experiencing some pain in his leg and his conditioning is well behind after so many weeks without basketball. He won’t return immediately if there’s any significant risk of any further damage.

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Email Eric Pincus at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @EricPincus.