Steve Nash returned to practice today and took part in a 5-on-5 scrimmage, according to the Los Angeles Times:

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.

Although, wisely, Nash is going to be careful about making his return and wants to be sure he’s ready to go:

“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.”

D’Antoni put it best, though:

“Whatever day he returns will be Christmas, so I guess there’s that,” D’Antoni said jokingly.

If he does return on Christmas Day, it could be quite a spectacle; Nash’s old teammate Amare Stoudemire could also be back on December 25 to play for the Knicks.