Knicks Could Lose Mitchell Robinson After Nasty Foul

The sitch on Mitch is cloudy as the New York Knicks embark on an equally uncertain playoff future.

After Thursday night, Mitchell Robinson is the center of attention in the Knicks’ ongoing postseason series with the Philadelphia 76ers. In the first period of what became a 125-114 Philadelphia win in Game 3, Robinson was taken down by 76ers franchise face and reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid, who had fallen to the hardwood while guarding OG Anunoby.

Embiid grabbed Robinson’s ankles while he was midair and the subsequent fall left Robinson with a limp for the remainder of the first half. Robinson did not partake in second half action and could only watch as Embiid scored 50 points to put Philadelphia on the board in the best-of-seven set. Members of the Knicks have since chided Embiid for the potentially dangerous play and they likely won’t forget it as the series continues.

“Mitch is what, 280?” teammate Josh Hart said, per Ian Begley of SNY. “You grab the guy by the leg when he’s jumping and you don’t allow him to come down, that’s something that —  just a sprained ankle would be a fortunate injury. That one was reckless. But luckily he wasn’t seriously injured and out for a long time.”

The longest-tenured Knick previously missed 50 games due to an ankle injury, the same one that was injured in Thursday’s loss. Robinson was previously listed as questionable for Game 3 but was cleared to partake.

According to Begley’s report, Robinson’s status is “up in the air” for Game 4 on Sunday at Wells Fargo Center (1 p.m. ET, ABC). With the Knicks off on Friday, Robinson is set to “get extensive treatment and rest” before the team reconvenes on Saturday. Robinson left the arena in a walking boot but Begley noted “that in and of itself doesn’t tell you anything definitive about his ankle (as) players frequently wear a walking boot when they sprain their ankle, regardless of the severity.”

While Robinson has ceded his traditional role as starting center to Isaiah Hartenstein (who spent most of Thursday’s game in foul trouble), he has undoubtedly come up big for the Knicks in their infantile postseason run: Robinson tied a Knicks playoff record with seven offensive rebounds off the bench in Game 1’s 111-104 triumph last weekend and he had seven rebounds in 12 minutes before he was forced to leave on Thursday.

The Knicks undoubtedly have the depth to guard the paint if Robinson is hurt, as Precious Achiuwa performed respectably well in his first metropolitan postseason outing. But Robinson, working through his sixth season in New York, undoubtedly brings a unique brand of energy that disappears when he’s not there and one that would undoubtedly be missed if this dominant brand of Embiid basketball carries on for the next three-to-five games.

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