On Sunday afternoon, theNew York Knicks dominated the Los Angeles Clippers, snapping a three-game losing streak, winning 110–102. The Knicks’ starters lead the way on the back of third-year guard RJ Barrett, who posted 28 points, 14 rebounds, and six assists.
Since the start of the new year, Barrett has been incredible, averaging 22.4 points and shooting 42.1% from three-point range. He’s also contributing six rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. He has scored double-digit points in every game during the month of January, including three performances with 30+ points.
However, Knicks big man Mitchell Robinson has also been incredibly effective in 2022. Robinson is averaging 11.9 points and nine rebounds per game this month, paired with an 84.9% success rate from the field. The Knicks have finally given him more freedom to open up his bag of tricks, but he was forced out against the Clippers on Sunday due to an ankle injury.
Robinson stepped on Luke Kennard’s foot in the third quarter, hobbling away and back into the locker room. The team announced before the final quarter that Robinson was ruled out with a left ankle sprain.
Luckily, it doesn’t seem to be anything serious, as Robinson confirmed that it was just a minor tweak, and he shouldn’t miss much time.
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The Knicks can’t afford to lose Robinson at this point in the season, despite gaining Nerlens Noel back on Sunday. Robinson has been so effective to start the new year, losing him would be a significant hit, even for a few games as the Knicks try to stay at .500 on the season.
If he is forced to miss any time, expect Noel and Taj Gibson to pick up the majority of the slack. Even rookie Jericho Sims could get involved.