OG Anunoby's return to the New York Knicks lineup remains a work in progress, but with the Eastern Conference finals still days away, the team has the luxury of patience.

When the Knicks hit the practice floor Wednesday, Anunoby was limited to partial participation. The starting forward—a defensive cornerstone whose offensive game has reached new heights this postseason—is nursing a hamstring injury that sidelined him for the final two games of New York's second-round sweep of Philadelphia.

Head coach Mike Brown confirmed that Anunoby handled the portions he was cleared for, but made clear there's a significant gap between that and the intensity of an NBA playoff game. "They told me what he could do today. They have not told me what he could do tomorrow," Brown said, declining to speculate on availability for Game 1.

The timing works in New York's favor. Game 1 against either Detroit or Cleveland—tied 2-2 in their own series entering Game 5—could tip off as early as Sunday, but a longer series would push the start into next week. That extra cushion gives Anunoby precious recovery time.

Brown isn't looking ahead. The Knicks have Thursday off and will practice again Friday, and only then will the coach check in for his next update. "At least for me, I'm taking it one game at a time," he 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."

The Knicks have earned that optimism. Riding a seven-game winning streak through the first two rounds, they proved they can survive without Anunoby against a worn-down Philadelphia team. But beating a top-seeded opponent in the conference finals without their defensive anchor would be a much steeper climb. For now, the wait continues—and that's perfectly fine.