Dylan Backer
New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson has a broken right pinky. His timeline to return was initially announced without a timetable, but there is some more clarity on the severity of the injury that may be positive news for New York.
Knicks catch major break with Mitchell Robinson
With the NBA Finals only five days away, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported early Friday that Robinson “fully plans” to play in Game 1 of the Finals and will wear some sort of brace around his right hand. Head coach Mike Brown said the injury did not occur in a game or in practice.
That is undoubtedly a major development for the Knicks, as they needed some injury relief on the cusp of their first NBA Finals appearance in 27 years. New York had been fortunate with their injuries this postseason, so this is a major break for them.
Luckily for them, their sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals prevents Robinson from potentially missing important games. The San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder, meanwhile, are set to play in a Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals on Saturday.
Robinson will have time to heal
The extra time allows Robinson to let his finger heal, with the hope that he will be good to go for Game 1 of the Finals. Against either West team the Knicks match up with, they will need Robinson’s presence in the paint and on the glass.
“Mitch is very important to us, an amazing player – unfortunate what happened, but we’ll take it day-by-day,” OG Anunoby said about Robinson, via SNY.
Game 1 of the Finals is set for Wednesday. While his status remains unclear, it appears the Knicks dodged a major bullet.
More about:New York Knicks
