It has been a crazy postseason. That much is for certain, and it has been seen more so than in any other series than the Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks. The Knicks have been able to overcome a 20-point deficit late in the third quarter in both games. They are now up 2-0 with Games 3 and 4 taking place on their home court of Madison Square Garden. There have been heroes abound, with many focusing on Mikal Bridges (game-clinching steal at the end of both games) and the reigning Clutch Player of the Year, Jalen Brunson. Fans should not undervalue
what center Mitchell Robinson has brought to the table as well in these two huge comeback wins for the Knicks, and the impact he has provided.
Mitchell Robinson’s Impact Goes Way Beyond The Box Score
Big Mitch Has Helped Spearhead Knicks Comebacks
A three-pointer by Kristaps Porzingis gave Boston a whopping 20-point lead with just 3:12 remaining in the third quarter of Game 2. A Payton Pritchard three-pointer with 8:40 remaining in the game gave the Celtics a seemingly insurmountable lead of 16. After the Pritchard trey, the Knicks would go on to outscore Boston 23-6 for the remainder
of the game, eking out a one-point victory.
Once the Knicks fell behind by 16 in the fourth, Robinson got fouled on a spin move close to the rim and saw the ball fall through the hoop. What ensued was an atrocious attempt from the free-throw line that fell well short of the rim. Still, it was an impressive move to get the basket, and resulted in a non-empty trip for New York. It also began a 21-2 run by the Knicks.
The longest tenured Knicks player, Robinson is now in his seventh season, all with New York. The 27-year-old center played 9.5 minutes in the fourth quarter of Game 2. In 22 minutes, the Knicks were a +19 with him on the court, the highest +/- on the team. He did excellent work on the glass on both ends and even provided three steals.
Towards the end of the game, he was faced with guarding Jayson Tatum. The Knicks were slow to help, and Tatum blew by him for a dunk with
18.1 seconds left which gave the Celtics a one-point lead. Brunson then drew a foul with 12.1 seconds left and made both free throws. That put the Knicks back on top by one.
Boston decided to forego using their final timeout for the final sequence. Tatum again had Robinson on him. Robinson was able to do a
better job of forcing Tatum to where the help was. Bridges got his hand on an intended pass, and threw the ball up-court to run out the clock.
Robinson’s final line included scoring six points and grabbing eight rebounds. Just like Game 1, the seven-footer’s impact went far beyond the box score.
Game 1 Went Just As Well
The first half of Game 1 saw the Celtics employ ‘Hack-A-Mitch’. The strategy seemed to work well as the big man went 3-10 from the charity
stripe. Tom Thibodeau was forced to exit him from the game in the second quarter, even giving Precious Achiuwa a run for the first time in this year’s playoffs.
When Karl-Anthony Towns picked up his fourth foul, Robinson returned to the court with 6:19 left in the third quarter. At the time, New York was trailing 72-52. He remained in the game until 9:26 left in the fourth with the score 84-80 Boston.
It was another game where Robinson didn’t post eye-popping numbers. In his 21 minutes, he finished with three points and seven rebounds. Just like in Game 2, Robinson had the best +/- of any Knicks player as NY outscored Boston by 13 points in his time on the court.
Often utilized as a defensive replacement late in close games, Robinson was in at the end of regulation with the game tied. Again, just like in Game 2, he saw himself guarding Tatum. He stuck with him, and Tatum missed a three-pointer with 9.1 seconds left. While the Knicks didn’t get the win in regulation, they did so in overtime.
There are plenty that want to focus on Robinson’s weaknesses. Certainly, free throw shooting tops the list. Just like in 2023 against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the opening round of the playoffs, Robinson is once again playing a huge role in this series. It’s time to recognize the impact Robinson provides even without scoring in bunches.
Photo credit: © David Butler II-Imagn Images
