76ers forward Thaddeus Young says that therapy sessions on his right ankle are progressing nicely and that he expects to back in the lineup when the playoffs start in a couple weeks.

"I'm hoping to be off the crutches within the next few days," Young said Thursday. The ankle, he said, was "much better . . . way better than it was. The first 15 minutes, I was really in pain. But it's good now. KJ [Sixers head athletic trainer Kevin Johnson] and Scott [Faust, assistant athletic trainer] have been doing a great job. Sergei [Khmelevski, massage therapist] has been doing a great job, also."

When Young first hurt the ankle on Tuesday against the Hawks, there were reports that he could be out for the season, or at least the first round of the playoffs.

However, coach Tony DiLeo wants to be cautious.

"If our medical staff says it's OK and Thad says it's OK, I'd be comfortable putting him out there," DiLeo said. "But if one [entity] said it was not OK, I would not be comfortable doing that."