When the Knicks returned to practice on May 13th, OG Anunoby still could only do parts of the session. That is exactly why New York’s sweep over Philadelphia mattered so much. The Knicks did not just advance. They created the one thing a hamstring injury rarely gives a contender in May, which is time, and Miles McBride and Landry Shamet did enough in the meantime to keep the rotation from shrinking into a problem.
The sweep changed the medical math
Mike Brown said Anunoby looked fine in the work he did, but also admitted the Knicks still do not know what he will be able to do for Game 1. That uncertainty would feel dangerous if New York had survived Philadelphia in six or seven games. It feels manageable because the Knicks have at least a few more days, and possibly longer, before the Eastern Conference Finals begin.
That is the real reward of the sweep. New York can treat Anunoby’s hamstring like a playoff problem to solve carefully instead of a crisis to outrun.
The temporary answer did more than hold up
McBride made the strongest case that the Knicks can survive a short stretch without Anunoby. During the closeout run, he delivered the kind of scoring burst that changes lineup math rather than just filling dead minutes. Reports around the team noted his 25-point, seven-three performance in the series clincher as the clearest proof that New York’s next man up option can still space the floor at a playoff level.
Shamet mattered, too. He was not part of the story a week earlier, then suddenly became a useful bridge piece because he could keep second units from turning cramped and heavy. Even if Anunoby returns quickly, those minutes are now on the board for Brown to use again.
The rest window helps more than one player
Brown has seen both sides of long layoffs and admitted there is always a different kind of worry attached to them. The Knicks, though, have an obvious use for this break. Anunoby gets recovery days, the heavy-minute core gets relief and the staff gets time to keep the bench in rhythm without having to chase the next tipoff.
Josh Hart admitted the wait is long, but he also recognized the upside when he said the break is good for recovery. That matters for a team that has been riding a shorter playoff rotation than most of the field.
New York now has a real choice instead of an emergency
If Anunoby is ready, the Knicks get one of their best defenders and one of their hottest playoff scorers back in the lineup. If he needs another few days, they are not walking blind into the next round. They already know McBride can lift the offense and they already know Shamet can keep the wing minutes from falling apart.
That is why the sweep was bigger than a clean bracket result. It bought Anunoby time, but it also bought Brown information. The Knicks do not just have hope that the rotation will hold together if Anunoby is limited. They now have proof of what the temporary version looks like, and that makes the wait a lot less dangerous.
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