New York Knicks: Injury to Mitchell Robinson Could Be a Major Issue

In Game 3 of the NBA Playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers, the New York Knicks might have suffered a big loss with center Mitchell Robinson leaving early due to injury.

It was a rough night for the Knicks in Philadelphia against the 76ers in Game 3. After catching a break with some missed calls late in Game 2, the Knicks seemed to be behind the eight ball going on the road for the next game.

In what was a chippy and physical game. Joel Embiid got away with a lot of questionable, and what many are saying are downright dirty plays in the win. While Embiid had one of the best games of his NBA playoff career, a lot of his highlights from the game were from plays that could have risen to flagrant.

One of the more egregious plays happened against Knicks center Mitchell Robinson. As Embiid was seen lying on the court, he grabbed at Robinson’s legs/ankle. Robinson went down and was seen limping around after that incident. Unfortunately for Robinson and the Knicks, he was eventually forced to leave the game early. He did not play in the second half and was seen leaving the arena with a limp and in a walking boot.

One of the reasons for the Knicks winning the first two games of the series was the play of Robinson along with Isaiah Hartenstein in the middle. Being able to throw two talented centers at Embiid frustrated him at times in New York. While completely shutting down a great player like Embiid is unlikely, making him less efficient is the goal for New York.

If Robinson is going to miss time because of the ankle injury, the Knicks are going to have to rely on Hartenstein to play big minutes and stay out of foul trouble. This can be very challenging against a high-usage player like Embiid and could result in the Knicks having to get creative with smaller lineups, potentially with Precious Achiuwa in the middle.

Hopefully, Robinson doesn’t miss any time for the Knicks in the rest of the series, as his ability on the defensive end is important for the team.