OG Anunoby is still not ready to practice fully, but the New York Knicks have time to wait

GREENBURGH, N.Y. (AP) — OG Anunoby could only participate in some parts of practice when the New York Knicks returned to work Wednesday.

Luckily for them, they still have time to wait.

With at least a few more days before the Knicks would start the Eastern Conference finals, they can be patient with Anunoby’s recovery from a hamstring injury that forced him to miss the last two games of their second-round sweep of Philadelphia.

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Coach Mike Brown said the starting forward did some things, though not when the Knicks went full speed. He said Anunoby looked fine with what he did, though it certainly sounds like there’s a gap between what that was and the intensity of an NBA postseason game.

Brown added that he isn’t sure when Anunoby can do more — and the Knicks don’t even know how soon that would need to be. Game 1 against Detroit or Cleveland could be Sunday, though the series wouldn’t begin until next week if those teams, who were tied 2-2 entering Game 5 on Wednesday, go the distance.

“They told me what he could do today. They have not told me what he could do tomorrow, so I don’t know what he’ll be able to do for Game 1,” Brown said.

Anunoby is one of the Knicks’ most important players, a top defender whose offensive game has hit its peak during this playoff run. The Knicks were able to win two games without him against a tired Philadelphia team that never recovered after needing seven games to beat Boston in the first round, but it would be difficult to beat the top-seeded Pistons or Cavaliers without him.

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Brown isn’t thinking that far ahead. The Knicks plan to take Thursday off and practice again Friday, and he said only then will he ask for his next Anunoby update.

“At least for me, I’m taking it one game at a time,” Brown said. “I don’t want to know from medical or anybody else anything beyond that, because when I do that stuff I get my hopes up and I don’t like doing that at all.”

The Knicks have plenty of reason for hope after a dominant run through the first two rounds. They have won seven straight games since falling behind 2-1 against Atlanta in the first…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/og-anunoby-still-not-ready-192510364.html

Author : BRIAN MAHONEY

Publish date : 2026-05-13 19:25:00

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