Is Jalen Brunson playing tonight against the Cleveland Cavaliers? Latest on Knicks superstar's availability (Apr. 10) 

The New York Knicks face off against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday at Madison Square Garden in New York City. It will be a clash of two of the top three teams in the Eastern Conference ahead of the playoffs, as the Cavaliers have locked up the first seed, while the Knicks currently stand at the third spot.

Jalen Brunson will suit up for the Knicks as they try to get a firm hold of the third spot in the East after losing two straight games. The Knicks currently have a 50-30 win-loss record, just 1.0 game above the fourth-seeded Indiana Pacers, whose squad has won their last six games.

Brunson has been the Knicks’ focal point on offense this season, averaging 26.2 points and 7.4 assists per game on 48.9 percent shooting from the field. However, he has dealt with ankle issues late in the season after rolling his ankle in a game against the LA Lakers last month.

The guard returned from his ankle injury four days ago against the Phoenix Suns, which resulted in a win. The Knicks have since lost their next two games with Brunson.

The 28-year-old has been featured heavily, averaging 35.5 minutes per game this season. He is coming off a 29-minute performance in a loss against the Detroit Pistons last night.

Meanwhile, the Cavaliers are expected to rest their key players such as Evan Mobley, Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell, according to their injury report.

Jalen Brunson gets candid on how the Knicks played without him on the floor

The Knicks have relied heavily on Brunson for the entire season, using him as their main cog on offense. However, the team needed to find their groove without him on the floor with his recent injury.

When he returned to the court after a one-month injury layoff, Brunson commended his teammates for taking the cudgels without him to maintain their spot at the top of the East standings.

"I don't want to say [my injury] was a silver lining, but whenever someone goes out, it's a collective team effort, and everyone steps up. It gives everyone a chance to come together and get better,” Brunson said via ESPN.com.

Meanwhile, Knicks head coach Tom Thibideau lauded Brunson for quickly adjusting after coming back from an injury against the Phoenix Suns on April 6.

"Usually what happens when a player comes back is he needs to get a feel, and usually there's a play or two where he'll be tested a little bit. And then once he realizes he's good, he takes off. I thought in the second half, there was a different gear to him," Thibideau said.

The Knicks have just two games left in their regular-season schedule and are set to enjoy homecourt advantage in the first round of the NBA playoffs.