OG Anunoby practiced in parts Wednesday as the Knicks weigh timing for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.
A hamstring issue is still shaping the Knicks’ schedule, and with the Eastern Conference finals on the horizon, OG Anunoby’s next steps are the one storyline New York can’t fully control.
In Greenburgh. N.Y.. Anunoby was able to participate in some portions of practice when the Knicks returned to work on Wednesday.. It followed a hamstring injury that sidelined him for the last two games of New York’s second-round sweep of Philadelphia. leaving his recovery as the major question as the team prepares for what comes next.
The timing matters because the Knicks are not starting the Eastern Conference finals immediately.. At least a few more days remain before Game 1 is expected. giving New York room to monitor how Anunoby responds to increasing intensity.. Coach Mike Brown said the starting forward did some things at practice. though not under the kind of full-speed conditions that postseason play demands.
Brown described Anunoby as looking fine with what he was able to do during Wednesday’s work.. Still. Brown signaled that there is a meaningful difference between partial participation and the intensity required in an NBA playoff game. especially for a player whose role is both defensive and physically demanding.. He also stressed that it isn’t yet clear how much more Anunoby will be able to handle next.
Asked about when Anunoby could do more. Brown said the team has not received confirmation about his progress for Thursday or beyond.. The uncertainty extends to whether the Knicks will need him at full capacity right away.. Game 1 could be Sunday against either Detroit or Cleveland, depending on the outcome of their respective series.. However. the series would not begin until next week if those teams extend their matchups. with Detroit and Cleveland tied 2-2 entering Game 5 on Wednesday.
Anunoby’s importance to the Knicks is hard to overstate.. He has been one of New York’s most critical defenders. and the injury arrives at a stage of the postseason where matchups intensify and roles become even more specific.. While his offense has been at a high point during this playoff run. the bigger issue for the Knicks may be what his presence does to their overall defensive structure.
New York already proved it could win without him in the second round.. The Knicks won two games without Anunoby against a Philadelphia team that never recovered after needing seven games to dispatch Boston in the first round.. Even so. Brown acknowledged the challenge ahead. suggesting it could be difficult to overcome top-level competition such as the Pistons or Cavaliers without Anunoby once the conference title picture firms up.
For now, the Knicks plan to take a breath and avoid rushing decisions.. They will take Thursday off and return to the practice floor Friday.. Brown said he will ask for the next Anunoby update only after that session. keeping the approach deliberately short-term rather than trying to forecast medical timelines.
That “one game at a time” approach is consistent with Brown’s broader thinking about postseason preparation.. He said he doesn’t want to know more from the medical staff or others beyond what the team is immediately working on. because hope can rise too quickly when information is incomplete.. It’s a philosophy that reflects how recovery can be both unpredictable and tightly linked to practice intensity.
The Knicks, meanwhile, have plenty of reasons to remain confident after a postseason run that has looked increasingly dominant.. They have won seven straight games since trailing Atlanta 2-1 in the first round. and during the span they outscored both the Hawks and 76ers by a combined 194 points.. The team also set a notable benchmark by reaching the largest point margin ever through its first 10 postseason games.
New York closed out Atlanta on April 30 and returned to the court against Philadelphia on May 4.. With the second-round sweep completed. their schedule could now include an idle stretch more than twice as long as some earlier pauses. which is exactly the kind of logistical swing that can affect rhythm. sharpness. and readiness.
Josh Hart pointed to the difference in layoff length. saying that in an earlier series the Knicks had about four days off and it was enough.. With this stretch potentially extending to at least a week. and possibly nine days. Hart said the added time helps recovery but can also shift the mental routine for players who are in the rhythm of competing.
While Hart watches games from the sidelines. he described it less as a vacation and more as waiting for the chance to return.. That mental element matters because the Knicks’ postseason identity has been built on sustained intensity. and an extended gap can test whether that intensity can be recreated quickly.
Brown has personal experience with both varieties of postseason timing—long layoffs and quick turnarounds—and he said the worries change depending on which scenario arrives.. He referenced that his Cleveland Cavaliers swept their first two series in 2009. then entered an Eastern Conference finals opener after more than a week. only to lose to Orlando.. He also cited his time with the Golden State Warriors in 2017. when the team. after being forced to adjust due to an illness affecting Steve Kerr. swept the first three series and then faced a 10-day gap between the end of the Western Conference finals and the start of the NBA Finals.
What those experiences suggest, Brown said, is that teams must manage different risks depending on the calendar.. With shorter turnarounds, the concern becomes whether preparation time is sufficient and whether players are simply too tired to execute.. With longer pauses, the danger shifts toward losing sharpness—having too much time to let focus drift.
For New York, the plan is to use the layout of days to keep players ready rather than simply resting and hoping it translates. Brown said the key is to manufacture ways to keep minds sharp, and the Knicks believe their approach will work.
All-Star Jalen Brunson echoed that balance. He said the team will utilize rest but also stay in the gym doing what’s needed to stay in rhythm, keep that competitive edge, and continue preparing for the specific things they will need once the conference title series begins.
As Anunoby’s availability remains in flux. the Knicks are effectively operating on a moving target: one where training intensity determines how quickly a hamstring recovery can translate into full postseason readiness.. With time to wait but uncertainty on what “full” looks like for Game 1. New York’s next practice updates will likely be the clearest indicator of how close Anunoby is to returning for the stretch where every possession becomes harder and faster.
OG Anunoby New York Knicks hamstring injury Eastern Conference finals Mike Brown Jalen Brunson Detroit Cavaliers series