The New York Knicks just got a major boost ahead of the Eastern Conference finals. OG Anunoby, the team's defensive anchor and starting forward, was a full participant in practice Friday at the team's Tarrytown training facility—a clear sign his recovery from a right hamstring strain is on track.

Head coach Mike Brown didn't hold back his optimism, calling Anunoby's progress "encouraging." "He practiced today in full, yeah," Brown said, adding that Anunoby even took part in scrimmages. "Everything we did today, he did."

The injury scare happened late in Game 2 of the first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers, when Anunoby strained his hamstring with just five minutes left. It was the same leg that had sidelined him for most of the 2024 Eastern Conference finals and nine games earlier this season. Despite his absence, the Knicks swept the 76ers 4-0 to advance.

Friday marked Anunoby's first full practice since that May 6 injury, and it couldn't come at a better time. Before going down, he was playing some of the best basketball of his career—averaging 21.5 points on a scorching 62% shooting from the field and 54% from beyond the arc through his first eight playoff games.

As of now, the Knicks are waiting to learn their next opponent. If the Cleveland Cavaliers close out the Detroit Pistons in six games, New York would host Game 1 of the conference finals Sunday at Madison Square Garden. If the Pistons force a Game 7 and win, the series would tip off Tuesday in Detroit.

For Brown, the timeline is secondary to Anunoby's health. "At the end of the day, I'm going to wait and let the medical group tell me each day what he can do," Brown said. "We'll see if they tell me something different tomorrow. But it's definitely encouraging to see somebody who was out be able to go out there and practice, full practice, like OG did."

Anunoby, who averaged 16.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.6 steals while shooting 48% from the field and 39% from three during the regular season, could be the missing piece that pushes the Knicks deeper into the playoffs. Stay tuned—this is a story worth following.