OG Anunoby practiced again Saturday with the New York Knicks and said the right hamstring injury he sustained in these playoffs was not as bad as the one he suffered two years ago, the report says.
Anunoby was hurt late in the Knicks’ victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals and missed the final two games of that series, the report says. He returned to practice this week and has been a full participant the past two days, saying he feels good. “It didn’t feel as bad as the past when it happened,” Anunoby said. “So knowing that, just trying to improve it day by day.”
The starting forward will have the maximum amount of time to rest because the Knicks swept their series while Cleveland and Detroit will have to play a Game 7 on Sunday, per the report. The Eastern Conference finals, which could have started Sunday, will not begin until Tuesday. “So if it was tomorrow — it’s going to be Tuesday now — just be ready whenever it is,” Anunoby said, according to the report.
There was immediate concern when Anunoby limped off the court, given his importance to the Knicks and how well he has been playing, the report says. He is averaging 21.4 points per game in the postseason while shooting 61.9% from the field and 53.8% from 3-point range and is regarded as the Knicks’ top defensive player. He said he felt a quick pain that he tried to play through, missing a dunk after first experiencing it, and called it “weird more than painful,” per the report.
Anunoby said he started with work in the pool and weight room before progressing to the court, where he said he is able to sprint. Guard Mikal Bridges said, “He’s been back, and he looks good to me,” adding that fans and media may have worried more than necessary, the report says. Coach Mike Brown said he is not sure if Anunoby will be ready for Game 1 but that he is encouraged by what he has seen in practice. “To go through that is not fun during this time of the year, because a lot of things come into play,” Brown said. “We’re trying to get to the top of the mountain during this time of the year, and you know, it needs luck. You need some skill. You need everybody to be healthy to a certain degree. So all that stuff, you want, knock on wood, to be going the right way for you whenever game time comes.”
