OG Anunoby expected for Game 1

OG Anunoby moved through a full Knicks practice on Friday, May 15, after missing time with a hamstring injury, and coach Mike Brown said the forward did everything with the team. Brown’s update put Anunoby on track to return for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, according to NBA.com’s report from practice. New York has been off since finishing its second-round series and is waiting to learn whether it will open the next round on Sunday or Tuesday. That timing depends on the outcome of the Cleveland Cavaliers-Detroit Pistons series. ### What exactly did the Knicks say about Anunoby on Friday? Mike Brown said Friday that Anunoby “did everything with the team,” according to NBA.com’s practice report. The report said Anunoby fully practiced for the first time since injuring his hamstring and was expected to be available for Game 1 of the conference finals. (nba.com) The injury dates to New York’s second-round series, when Anunoby left Game 2 late with a strained hamstring and then missed the next two games, according to Yahoo Sports, which cited ESPN’s Shams Charania on the expectation that he would be ready for the East finals opener. (nba.com) ### How well had Anunoby been playing before the injury? Anunoby has averaged 21.4 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.9 steals in eight playoff games this postseason, according to StatMuse. NBA and ESPN postseason logs show he has shot 61.9% from the field and 53.8% from 3-point range across 282 minutes. Those numbers help explain why his status became a focus as New York advanced without him. (sports.yahoo.com) In the two conference semifinal games he did play, ESPN’s game log shows Anunoby scored 18 and 24 points against Philadelphia before the injury interruption. ### Why does the Game 1 date still depend on Cleveland and Detroit? Cleveland and Detroit have not finished their second-round series. (statmuse.com) NBA.com’s playoff page for that matchup shows the series is headed to a Game 7 on May 17, which will determine who faces New York in the Eastern Conference finals. NBA.com’s Knicks practice report said New York would have hosted Game 1 on Sunday if Cleveland had closed out Detroit in Game 6 on Friday night. (espn.com) Because the series went the distance, the same report said Anunoby would not need to be ready until Tuesday. ### What does New York know about the bracket right now? (nba.com) New York has already secured its place in the Eastern Conference finals. The NBA’s 2026 playoffs bracket lists the Knicks in the East finals slot, with the opponent still to be determined pending Cavaliers-Pistons Game 7. ESPN’s playoff schedule page says the NBA Finals are set to begin on June 3. (nba.com) That leaves the East finals as New York’s next series, with the opener and full schedule to be set once the Cavaliers-Pistons result is final. ### What happens next for Anunoby and the Knicks? (nba.com) May 17 is the next key date for New York because Cavaliers-Pistons Game 7 will settle both the opponent and the start date for the conference finals. If Anunoby remains available after Friday’s full practice, the Knicks would bring one of their most efficient postseason scorers back into the lineup for Game 1. (espn.com) The next official schedule update will come through the NBA playoff bracket and series pages once Cleveland or Detroit advances. Brown’s Friday practice update is the latest public indication that Anunoby is in line to play when that series begins. (nba.com)