Anunoby to return for Knicks in East finals Game 1

OG Anunoby is expected to return to the New York Knicks starting lineup for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, putting the team at full strength after he missed the final two games of the previous series with a strained right hamstring.

Anunoby suffered the low grade strain late in Game 2 of New York’s second round sweep of the Philadelphia 76ers on May 6. The Knicks held him out for the next two games, both of which New York won on the road, and the 13 day layoff between series allowed additional recovery time. Anunoby returned to full practice participation during the final three sessions leading into the conference finals, and the team listed him as probable for Game 1.

This marks the second time in three postseasons that Anunoby has dealt with a hamstring injury during the playoffs. In 2024, a left hamstring strain suffered in Game 2 of the second round forced him to miss four games and limited him to five minutes in a decisive Game 7 loss to Indiana. Anunoby said this current issue did not feel as severe as the previous one. He told reporters that it was not like prior injuries and that he is...