New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby has missed the past two games with a hamstring injury. It's been one of the few reasons for pessimism in recent weeks, as the Knicks' dominant run to a second consecutive Eastern Conference Finals appearance has unfortunately come with an injury scare.
Thankfully, a Knicks insider has shared what appears to be an educated guess about if or when Anunoby will return to the rotation: Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
New York completed a second-round series sweep of the Philadephia 76ers despite playing Game 3 and Game 4 without Anunoby. Though the victory was encouraging, the elephant in the room remains the uncertainty surrounding their star forward's availability.
During a recent episode of The Putback, Knicks insider Ian Begley shared his belief that Anunoby will be available for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
"OG Anunoby will play in Game 1. I feel very comfortable saying that, just because of where this thing was in the day or two days after it happened."
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 11, 2026
On The Putback with @IanBegley, Ian says that barring any setbacks, the Knicks should expect to have OG Anunoby ready to go for… pic.twitter.com/YKrL5budKx
For those who can't see the video, Begley said the following:
"I haven't heard anything that leads me to believe anything other than what I'd heard in the aftermath of the injury, which was: This was a minor injury. This was not a significant thing. And barring no setbacks, [OG] Anunoby will play in Game 1. I feel very comfortable saying that just because of where this thing was in the day or two days after it happened."
Though it's not necessarily a report, it's still a potentially massive development considering Begley's knowledge of the situation and the time the Knicks thankfully have until Game 1.
Ian Begley believes OG Anunoby will play Game 1 of Conference Finals
Anunoby has been nothing short of sensational during the 2026 NBA Playoffs. He's been the Knicks' second-leading scorer behind Jalen Brunson, taking a clear step forward that's helped Karl-Anthony Towns transition to the role of a lead facilitator.
Unfortunately, having missed the past two games with a hamstring injury, there's a degree of uncertainty in regard to what the rest of the postseason may hold.
Thankfully, Begley shared what appears to be an informed belief on what Knicks fans can expect come the Conference Finals. It's likely fueled by the fact that the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons are still competing in their own second-round series.
Cleveland and Detroit will wrap their series up no sooner than May 13 and could still be competing on May 17 if their clash ultimately goes to a Game 7.
Regardless of when the Cavaliers and Pistons conclude their series, it appears to be a safe assumption that Anunoby will soon be back in action. He suffered the injury on May 6 and will be more than a week removed from it on the earliest date Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals can be held.
If Begley's seemingly informed speculation proves true, then the Knicks should be back at full strength once their pursuit of a long-awaited NBA Finals appearance resumes.
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