Knicks center Mitchell Robinson had surgery earlier this week on his broken right pinky finger and will “push to play” when the NBA Finals start this coming Wednesday, reports SNY NBA Insider Ian Begley.
Shams Charania of ESPN adds that Robinson will wear a brace on his hand.
The Knicks will head to either San Antonio or Oklahoma City for Game 1 of the Finals, with the winner of the Western Conference Finals between the Spurs and Thunder set to be decided in Game 7 on Saturday.
Robinson has been a crucial part of the Knicks’ playoff run.
In the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cavaliers, Robinson provided key minutes, impacting the game with his signature defense and rebounding prowess. In the clinching Game 4, Robinson scored eight points on 4-of-6 shooting, grabbed 10 rebounds, and was a plus-14 on the court in his 18 minutes of play.
One thing that has hampered Robinson and the Knicks this postseason is when opposing teams have used the “hack-a-Mitch” strategy to send him to the free-throw line.
Robinson went just 2-for-14 from the line against the Cavs after going 6-for-16 against the 76ers in the second round and 5-for-13 against the Hawks in the first round.
“I know that Robinson will push to play. Just in having conversations with people over the last couple of hours,” Begley reported Thursday night. “He will want to play; it’s ultimately up to the Knicks’ medical staff. A player’s opinion does matter in these things and so he’s going to want to be out there.”
If the Knicks face the Spurs, Robinson could be the physical, tall center to match up with Victor Wembanyama. If the Thunder advance, Robinson could be used alongside Karl-Anthony Towns to combat OKC’s massive frontcourt of Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein.
Robinson, who will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, averaged 5.7 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks across 60 games this season. The 60 games were the most Robinson has played in a season since he played 59 games in 2022-23.
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