New York Knicks have time to wait on OG Anunoby’s hamstring injury
NBA notes
The Associated Press New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby reacts after scoring in Game 4 against the Atlanta Hawks. He missed the last two games of the second-round Philadelphia 76ers series with a hamstring injury.
GREENBURGH, N.Y. — 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.
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 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.
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.”
Giddey has surgery
CHICAGO — Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right ankle and is expected to be ready for the start of training camp, the team announced on Wednesday.
The Bulls said he will be sidelined from basketball activities for three months. Giddey averaged career-highs in scoring (17 points), assists (9.1) and rebounds (8.3), though hamstring and right ankle injuries limited him to 54 games — his lowest total since his 2021-22 rookie season with Oklahoma City.
Cavs go up 3-2
DETROIT — James Harden scored a playoff-best 30 points and Donovan Mitchell had 21, helping the Cleveland Cavaliers come back from a nine-point deficit late in regulation and beat the Detroit Pistons 117-113 in overtime on Wednesday night to take a 3-2 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal series.
The Pistons led by 15 points in the first half and 103-94 with two-plus minutes left. The Cavs rallied and pulled into a 103-all tie on Evan Mobley’s free throws with 45.2 seconds left.
Cleveland went on a 13-0 run and held Detroit scoreless for five minutes from late in fourth quarter to midway through overtime. The Cavs went ahead by seven with 2:39 left in OT on Mitchell’s 3-pointer.
Cade Cunningham scored 39 points and had nine assists for Detroit.
Game 6 is Friday night in Cleveland, where the fourth-seeded Cavs will get the first of two chances to advance to face the New York Knicks in the East finals.




