THE QUIETEST MOMENT inside Madison Sq. Backyard through the New York Knicks’ 2025 playoff run wasn’t when Tyrese Haliburton’s shot hovered above the rim in Sport 1 of the Japanese Convention finals. It wasn’t when Jalen Brunson took an odd step together with his troublesome proper ankle in New York’s playoff opener.
That second belongs to Sport 3 of the Knicks’ convention semifinals collection towards the Boston Celtics, when swaths of Knicks followers politely inspired one another to remain silent, whispering “Shhh!” as middle Mitchell Robinson stepped to the free throw line through the second quarter.
It was one thing of a reversal from how the group dealt with issues a couple of minutes earlier, when it roared after Robinson obtained fouled to point out their assist for the defensive-minded, rim-running massive man and his 34% free throw capturing within the playoffs. However after that effort resulted in an ugly airball — Robinson’s second of the collection in a matchup the place the defending champs had been deliberately sending him to the road — the Backyard crowd rapidly shifted into silence. Broadcast cameras panned to Knicks superfans Spike Lee and Ben Stiller, who, like everybody else, appeared uncertain of what to do at that second.
However Robinson’s second try went down, inciting an enormous cheer for the 27-year-old Robinson, the membership’s longest-tenured participant, and whose return in late February after a prolonged restoration from an ankle damage has helped reshape a Knicks protection from one which could not deal with the league’s finest groups to 1 that is seven wins from an NBA title.
The Knicks crowd supported Mitchell Robinson whereas he was on the free throw line 🧡
Greater than basketball 🙌 pic.twitter.com/JfmnGjcY9q
— ESPN (@espn) Could 10, 2025
And Robinson’s sport, regardless of that includes loads of free throw drama, has by no means spoken louder than in these playoffs. That is very true within the convention finals towards the Indiana Pacers, the place the 7-footer’s fingerprints have been all around the collection heading into Tuesday’s Sport 4 (8 p.m. ET, TNT); the Pacers have a 2-1 lead within the collection.
It largely explains why guard Josh Hart, who had began 27 consecutive playoff video games, willingly approached the staff’s teaching workers to say he’d be superb with transferring to a sixth-man position if it meant Robinson would get extra time. Robinson (29 minutes) began, whereas Hart (34 minutes) got here off the bench within the Knicks’ doubtlessly season-saving Sport 3 win.
“He is enormous; somebody who does nearly all the things. An enormous X issue,” Hart mentioned of Robinson earlier than it was recognized that the guard had all however inspired coach Tom Thibodeau to change the beginning lineup. “We have now to determine methods he can play extra.”
ROBINSON’S TEAMMATES DIDN’T mince phrases after the large man injured his proper ankle in Sport 3 of final season’s opening spherical collection towards the Philadelphia 76ers.
Key gamers, together with Hart and former Knick Donte DiVincenzo, had been fast to recommend that Sixers middle Joel Embiid put Robinson in hurt’s method when he grabbed at Robinson’s proper leg whereas already on the bottom. (There had additionally been a play the place Embiid fell on high of Robinson’s left leg earlier in that sport, which left the Knicks massive man writhing in ache.)
“It was soiled,” DiVincenzo mentioned. “It was soiled.”
The three officers had been unanimous in calling a Flagrant 1 on Embiid however opting towards ejecting the Sixers star. After the sport, Embiid mentioned he was attempting to keep away from a situation the place Robinson would possibly fall on him the way in which Jonathan Kuminga had earlier that 12 months — one thing that led to a meniscus tear and two-month surgical procedure restoration for Embiid.
A hobbled Robinson made it by means of the rest of the Knicks’ collection win and restricted minutes in Sport 1 of the convention semifinals earlier than medical doctors discovered a stress response in his left ankle.
Robinson had surgical procedure earlier than the Knicks’ postseason even ended, becoming a member of an inventory of key Knicks gamers whose seasons had been minimize brief that season. Julius Randle had already been dominated out. So had reserve Bogdan Bogdanovic. OG Anunoby strained his hamstring within the Indiana collection and could not actually run when he valiantly tried to speed up his return for Sport 7. Brunson fractured his hand in that deciding sport.
However two of these gamers moved on to different golf equipment and the opposite two had been again to full power properly forward of the 2024-25 season, leaving simply Robinson with a prolonged, isolating restoration that stored him out of the Knicks’ first 58 video games of the season.
“It is lots of feelings that go on, ups and downs,” mentioned Robinson, who was the topic of commerce rumors through the months he was on the mend. “Actually, the onerous half is attempting to remain afloat and attempting to remain targeted, as a result of you possibly can’t actually do an excessive amount of whenever you’re injured.”
He added that he wished to be one hundred pc each time he got here again, and acknowledged that previously, when he was youthful, that he’d usually attempt to get again as rapidly as he might, even when it left him at higher danger of a setback.
In Robinson’s absence, New York slipped to twenty first on protection and surrendered the second-worst defensive ranking towards top-10 offenses. In opposition to the Celtics within the common season, particularly, the Knicks utilized extra drop protection than some other staff.
Between that, and the staff being softer across the basket with stretch massive Karl-Anthony Cities at middle, there seemingly had been clear roadblocks to a convention finals berth in New York.
AS THE CELTICS pushed the ball in transition throughout a close-out Sport 6, Robinson sprinted again on protection to verify the Knicks would not be uncovered close to the rim.
Robinson started his perimeter protection ballet by working out towards Payton Pritchard, who then swung the ball to fellow sharpshooter Derrick White, who then simply as rapidly flipped the ball to Al Horford earlier than giving option to Jrue Vacation. Robinson had stored with each step.
Vacation then put the ball on the deck and drove towards the basket earlier than dishing to Jaylen Brown, who had been standing within the nook for what regarded like a wide-open 3. Brown even had sufficient room for one dribble.
Knicks might’ve performed it secure & traded for a wholesome backup C at 2025 deadline. They as an alternative wager on Mitchell Robinson, who made one of many largest performs in Sport 6 (clip under). Cs struggled with Robinson all collection. NYK was +46 in Robinson’s 124 minutes. pic.twitter.com/sMJ2ZXgs0i
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) Could 17, 2025
However, although Robinson had already rotated to every of the opposite 4 Celtics on courtroom in a four-second span, the 7-footer one way or the other stood face-to-face with Brown, who not had room to get his shot off. It resulted in Brown being stripped as Robinson swallowed up the play, bringing the Backyard crowd to its toes.
Simply how impactful was Robinson? He was a plus-46 within the collection towards Boston. (The Knicks’ next-closest participant, backup guard Deuce McBride, was a plus-16.) For context, New York misplaced the Cities minutes by 9 factors.
Robinson was a drive, getting a hand on nearly each New York miss, defending the Celtics’ deadly pick-and-roll assault out to the 3-point line whereas additionally closely contesting contained in the arc.
The Knicks closed out that collection with Boston, dominating Sport 6 by a franchise-record 38 factors; one thing that may have been unthinkable a mere month in the past, given how the Celtics completely dominated New York in three matchups previous to Robinson’s return to the lineup.
His back-side communication and talent to navigate a number of rotations alongside the arc, areas the place Cities has been uncovered all through the postseason, have been important. Robinson being essentially the most invaluable middle within the collection towards the Celtics — whether or not it was due to Kristaps Porzingis’ sickness or not — was telling. Boston had little it might do to reliably rating inside as long as Robinson was there.
The standout displaying was a far cry from Robinson’s first couple of seasons within the league. New York was 38-110 over that span — which had been stuffed with promise however dotted with inconsistency that always tethered him to the bench, even when the membership had much less at stake.
“I’ve minimize down on the fouls; I am offensive rebounding [the ball] extra,” mentioned the 27-year-old Robinson, who has led the NBA in offensive-rebound proportion twice in his profession. “I really feel like the sport has slowed up for me slightly bit. Through the years, I really feel like I’ve simply grown and gotten higher.”
And coming into the convention finals, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle mentioned his whole group was on discover about Robinson’s game-altering capability.
“He is been very, very impactful for them since he is been again,” Carlisle mentioned. “He provides them lots of versatility, and his capability to change onto smaller gamers is particular for a man his dimension. He is a significant factor, and a man we have been speaking about so much.”
As such, New York was managing to contest 52% of Indiana’s shot makes an attempt with Robinson on the courtroom over the primary two video games, up from only a 42% contest charge when he is on the sideline, in keeping with ESPN Analysis. All of it speaks to why he was plugged into the beginning 5 for Sport 3, and why he ought to be a mainstay there for the rest of the playoffs.
“What Mitch does is particular. I do not suppose there’s anybody within the league who can do what he does,” Anunoby mentioned. “Fast arms. Fast toes. Anticipation. All at 7 toes. He is one in every of one.”
