Crisis Averted: OG Anunoby Gets Injury Update Knicks Fans Were Waiting For

As the New York Knicks wait to see whether they'll face the Cleveland Cavaliers or Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals, fans are also sitting on pins and needles to see when standout forward OG Anunoby will return to the floor. His return to practice on Friday has eased the tension significantly.

Anunoby missed the final two games of the Eastern Conference semifinals due to a hamstring strain. The Knicks did not need him, handling business with a four-game sweep of the Philadelphia 76ers. The first big update coming out of that series was that the veteran wing was that he was getting up shots after practice on Wednesday. It was reported that he was expected to play, but there was still some uncertainty.

However, on Friday, Knicks fans received excellent news about Anunoby’s status for Game 1. According to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post, Knicks head coach Mike Brown told reporters that Anunoby “was a full participant in practice.” Brown added that the veteran went through a scrimmage and “did everything we did in practice,” per Bondy.

OG Anunoby was a full participant in practice today, Mike Brown says.

Encouraging update.
— Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA) May 15, 2026

OG Anunoby gets upgraded to a full participant on Friday ahead of the Eastern Conference Finals

If you’re a Knicks fan, you’re excited to see that New York has seemingly avoided disaster with Anunoby’s hamstring injury. That's doubly true if your heart rate spiked earlier on Friday when Bondy posted a picture of Anunoby at practice without a uniform. Hearing Brown say that the veteran was able to work is a big relief.

Before going down with the soft-tissue injury in Game 2 of the last round against the 76ers, one could argue that Anunoby has been one of the best players in the playoffs.

The 28-year-old wing is scoring 21.4 points per game on 61.9% shooting from the field and a healthy 53.8% from beyond the arc. He’s also doing a tremendous job on the glass, recording 7.5 boards per game. His offensive rating thus far in the postseason is out of this world at 153, while his defensive rating is 102.

Those two numbers just illustrate how dominant Anunoby has been when on the floor during this playoff run.

With Anunoby seemingly on the precipice of returning, the Knicks will push Deuce McBride back to the bench after putting together a huge 25-point performance in Game 4 against the 76ers. If that McBride shows up in the next round it would be a huge lift off the bench for the Knicks.

As for Anunoby, the Knicks will need him to advance to the NBA Finals, as he will have the task of defending Tobias Harris or Evan Mobley, depending on which team advances to the next round. Each guy poses different challenges, but Anunoby, if fully healthy, should be able to hold his own on both ends of the floor.

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