Latest news with #MitchellRobinson
New York Post
18 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Mitchell Robinson left feeling ‘like s–t' after long road back ends with Knicks playoff heartbreak
INDIANAPOLIS — A long and arduous road back for Mitchell Robinson led him all the way back to the Knicks' starting lineup in the Eastern Conference finals. It made the way it all ended Saturday that much more painful. 'S–tty, bro. Like s–t,' Robinson described his feelings at his locker following the Knicks' season-ending 125-108 loss to the Pacers in Game 6. 'I don't even got words, to be honest with you. 'Obviously, I didn't play the full year, came back in, what, late February, March and grinded the whole time all the way up to this point. 'I'm happy that we got this far, but I don't know, man. We gave away two [games] at home early, then we were playing out of a hole, and you can't do that.' 3 Mitchell Robinson dunks the ball during the Knicks' 125-108 season-ending Game 6 loss to the Pacers on May 31, 2025. Charles Wenzelberg Robinson missed the first four months of the regular season following surgery to repair an ankle injury suffered in last year's playoffs. The longest-tenured Knick returned to the starting lineup in Memphis on Feb. 28, and he appeared in 17 regular-season games and all 18 in three rounds of the playoffs. Follow The Post's coverage of the Knicks in the 2025 NBA Playoffs Sports+ subscribers: Sign up for Inside the Knicks to get daily newsletter coverage and join Expert Take for insider texts about the series. With the starting unit struggling defensively at the start of games, Robinson finally was inserted into the starting lineup alongside Karl-Anthony Towns in Game 3 against the Pacers, with Josh Hart moving to a reserve role. The 7-foot Robinson provided eight points on 4-for-4 shooting with nine rebounds and two blocked shots in Game 6, with five of those boards coming on the offensive end, all in the first half. 3 Mitchell Robinson attempts to pull down a rebound during the Knicks' Game 6 loss to the Pacers. Charles Wenzelberg 3 Mitchell Robinson greets Tyrese Haliburton after the Knicks' Game 6 loss. Charles Wenzelberg He didn't have as much of a two-way impact in the second half, however, and admitted he 'should've kept my energy up, but I feel like I didn't play to my full potential.' Still, Robinson's unique ability to provide extra possessions for the Knicks on the offensive end helped keep them within four points at halftime despite slow starts by Towns and Jalen Brunson. What's happening on and off the Garden court Sign up for Inside the Knicks by Stefan Bondy, a weekly exclusive on Sports+. Thank you Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Enjoy this Post Sports+ exclusive newsletter! Check out more newsletters Asked before the game if he still considers himself the best offensive rebounder in the NBA, Robinson replied 'of course' and '[I] still am.' The 27-year-old Robinson, who was drafted by the Knicks in the second round in 2018, has one year remaining on the four-year, $60 million extension he signed in 2022.
New York Post
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Pacers starters were in a rare, ugly place in Game 5 loss to Knicks
INDIANAPOLIS — The Knicks' starting five was a mess earlier in the series, so much so that Tom Thibodeau finally made a change, inserting Mitchell Robinson beginning with Game 3. The Pacers' starters endured a brutal game collectively in allowing the Knicks back into the Eastern Conference finals Thursday night with a series-extending 111-94 win in Game 5 at the Garden. This time, it was Indiana's starting group spotting the Knicks an early double-digit lead from which the Pacers never fully recovered. The individual numbers for the game were ugly, most notably a shutdown of All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who followed up a masterful 32-point, 15-assist, zero-turnover triple-double in Game 4 with eight points on 2-for-7 shooting with six assists in 32 minutes. 3 Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton goes up for a shot as New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson defends during the third quarter of Game 5. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post Overall, Haliburton and fellow starters Aaron Nesmith, Andrew Nembhard and Myles Turner combined for only 22 points on 8-for-22 from the floor, including only two made 3-pointers in 10 attempts. Pascal Siakam was also held to 15 points, half his total from two nights earlier. 'We obviously didn't play with the level of force that we needed to,' Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. 'We lost the rebound battle [45-40], we lost the turnover battle [19-15], and we didn't shoot well. They had a lot to do with it, so give them credit. We're gonna have to play much better. 'To start the game, we just didn't have the right level of force, the right level of attitude necessary in this environment. It was a bad start, and we never had a lead in the game. There were a multitude of things going wrong. There were times in the game we got a little bit of traction, but never enough.' Carlisle called the Pacers taking three of the first four games against the Knicks, including a miraculous late comeback to win in overtime in the series opener, 'ancient history now' ahead of another closeout chance in Game 6 on Saturday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. 3 Pascal Siakam goes up for a deep shot in Game 2. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post 'Everything gets more intense as a series continues to evolve. It's great competition, but we weren't at the level compete-wise that we needed to be,' Carlisle said. 'Overall, our disposition, posture, force, intensity, all of that just simply was not good enough.' Follow The Post's coverage of the Knicks in the 2025 NBA Playoffs Sports+ subscribers: Sign up for Inside the Knicks to get daily newsletter coverage and join Expert Take for insider texts about the series. Siakam agreed, saying after the game that the Knicks 'played harder than us.' He also got into a contentious discussion with an Indiana-based media member during his postgame press conference over that assertion. 'We played hard, but they played harder,' Siakam said. 'That happens in a game.' Indiana received 57 points from its bench in Game 5, led by 23 from Bennedict Mathurin and 11 from Obi Toppin, but the 37 from the starters resulted in the Pacers being held below 100 points for the first time in the playoffs and the first time overall since a 112-89 loss in Portland in early February. 3 Aaron Nesmith of the Indiana Pacers looks on during the game against the New York Knicks during Game 5 of the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals on May 29, 2025 at Madison Square Garden. NBAE via Getty Images 'We weren't great as a group,' Haliburton said of the starting unit. 'We gotta be better as a group, and our pace has to be better, and that starts with me. It was a rough showing for us tonight, so we'll watch the film and see where we can get better and be prepared for Game 6.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Knicks fans erupt after Mitchell Robinson's violent Tyrese Haliburton block
The post Knicks fans erupt after Mitchell Robinson's violent Tyrese Haliburton block appeared first on ClutchPoints. Mitchell Robinson turned to his right hand to wake up the Madison Square Garden crowd. And hand Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton a rather forgettable moment on his end. But Robinson ignited the New York Knicks fans in this crucial NBA Playoffs meeting. Advertisement With their season on the line, Tom Thibodeau threw in his big defender. Robinson tracked Haliburton inside the paint as the Pacers star attempted a circus layup. Robinson swatted it with violent intent, however. Robinson delivered the type of play that extended the Eastern Conference Finals. His Knicks faced elimination walking into MSG Thursday — as the Pacers held a 3-1 advantage. Haliburton even drew comparisons to Stephen Curry beforehand. But the Knicks pummeled Indiana 111-94 to force a Game 6 on Saturday. But the Robinson blocked got the Knicks fans turning up the decibel levels inside the arena. And spark multiple online reactions. Reactions sprout for Knicks' Mitchell Robinson block on Tyrese Haliburton Brad Penner-Imagn Images Fans flooded to X (formerly known as Twitter) to sound off on the Robinson block. Plus his overall play in Game 5. One fan reminded others of Robinson's longevity. Advertisement 'Just a reminder that Mitchell Robinson is the longest tenure Knick. Put some respect on that mans name!' the fan account posted. The account Hoops Herald posted clips of his biggest plays before he joined the Knicks. As a reminder of how dominant Robinson is. That fiery block wasn't Robinson's lone highlight. Jalen Brunson lobbed him the basketball before that swat. Robinson delivered this throw down to spark the early first quarter energy. The 27-year-old center raised his game another level with the Knicks facing elimination. Or even the Pacers celebrating the Eastern Conference title on their home floor. Robinson clearly wasn't in the mood to end his season. Robinson finished with six points and grabbed six rebounds. He pulled off both marks through 20 minutes of action.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Knicks vs. Pacers: Josh Hart went to Tom Thibodeau about coming off the bench in Game 3, then came up big in win
INDIANAPOLIS — On Sunday night, for the first time in 485 days, Josh Hart came off the bench for the New York Knicks, ceding his spot in the starting lineup to center Mitchell Robinson in a move aimed at providing a shock to the system of a lineup that's gone stagnant over the past several months. It wouldn't be unheard of for the change to rankle Hart. After all, he'd just turned in the best season of his eight-year career, averaging 13.6 points on 52.5% shooting to go with 9.6 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.5 steals in a league-leading 37.6 minutes per game. He'd established himself as a vital two-way piece of a Knicks team that advanced to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 25 years, shooting 41.3% from 3-point range and playing a huge role in closing out both the Pistons in Round 1 and the favored Celtics in Round 2. Advertisement Players stamped as that consequential don't typically get sent to the second unit … unless, of course, they volunteer to go there. 'I mean, it was never going to be a tough day for me,' Hart said after New York's latest breathtaking comeback of these playoffs, a 106-100 victory over the Indiana Pacers in Game 3 of the 2025 Eastern Conference finals. 'Because I had a hand in that decision.' Seated at his locker after the win, which saw the Knicks erase a 20-point first-half deficit and race past the hosts with a roaring 36-20 fourth quarter, Hart explained that he'd met with Tom Thibodeau and expressed that he was comfortable with coming off the bench to make space for Robinson — a continuation of a dialogue that Hart said started against Boston. Advertisement 'This was a conversation that I've had before,' Hart said. 'I actually had a conversation … before Game 6 [against the Celtics], when I was struggling with the matchup of Luke Kornet.' After strong performances in New York's thrilling wins in Games 1 and 2 in Boston, Hart went just 5-for-16 from the field over the next two games, having a difficult time getting untracked while being cross-matched against the 7-foot Kornet, forever sagging off of him to pack the paint and stifle other Knicks' scoring efforts. And while Hart scored a postseason-high 24 points in Game 5, making five of his nine 3-point attempts, the Celtics outscored New York by 24 points in his 36 minutes — a blinking-red-lights indication that the time might be ripe for a change. Josh Hart didn't start Game 3, but finished it with big plays down the stretch. (Photo by) (Gregory Shamus via Getty Images) 'I wasn't able to really figure that out,' Hart said. 'And Game 6, I had a pretty good game, but it's something that I've had in the back of my mind, and I've always been willing to do.' Advertisement Hart had a rough Game 2, scoring six points on three shot attempts with just one assist in 28 ineffectual minutes during which he failed to make Pacers defenders Andrew Nembhard and Tyrese Haliburton pay for aggressively helping off of him to muck up New York's half-court offense elsewhere. Robinson, on the other hand, continued to make a massive impact on the interior in Game 2, grabbing nine rebounds (four offensive) and blocking three shots in 29 minutes — during which the Knicks outscored the Pacers by six points. 'You know, down two [games to none], especially with how Mitch played last game, it was just … you know, that's something that we had to do,' Hart said. 'And obviously, that's a group decision that really boils down to Thibs and myself.' 'Yeah, he wants to win,' said Knicks captain and longtime Hart pal Jalen Brunson. 'This just shows who he is — as a person, as a player, as a teammate. He doesn't care for anything individual. He just wants to win. It's a true testament of a great teammate.' Advertisement Thibodeau praised Hart for his willingness to sacrifice what some other players — maybe a lot of other players — might see as the status and prestige that comes with starting, in pursuit of an edge to help the team win. 'The thing I love about Josh is the unselfishness,' Thibodeau said. 'Like, you're concerned, because you're not only impacting him, but you're impacting other guys in the starting lineup, so you've got to make sure that that's all good. And then you're also impacting the second unit in a different way, so then you've got to figure out, 'OK, how can we put this all together where we can make it work?'' The rotational shuffle extended far beyond swapping Robinson in for Hart: It also included elevating little-used guards Delon Wright and Landry Shamet over the scuffling Cameron Payne, hoping that putting more size and defensive acumen on the court might help slow down a Pacers offense that had been humming. Those bets paid off handsomely: Wright made several good hustle plays, Shamet made a corner 3 and dished a pair of assists to help the Knicks stay within hailing distance amid their first-half woes, and both contributed to a second-half defensive effort that saw New York limit the Pacers to just 42 points on 14-for-38 shooting (36.8%) in the third and fourth quarters. Advertisement Hart played a significant role in that effort, too. He helped crank up the communication and precision of New York's switches and rotations, and came up with a number of big plays, including a pair of huge defensive rebounds in the final minute and a half to prevent Indiana from getting a second chance to cut into the Knicks' lead: Hart played the entire fourth quarter, finishing with 8 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 steal in 34 minutes off the bench. Robinson, for his part, finished with 6 points, 6 rebounds (3 offensive), 1 assist, 1 steal and 1 block in 29 minutes. '[The lineup switch] really didn't impact either guy from a minutes standpoint,' Thibodeau said. 'To me, when Mitch was coming off the bench, he's a starter coming off the bench. When Josh comes off the bench, he's a starter coming off the bench. Their minutes are going to be the same, and both guys mix and match, both guys are comfortable with both units.' Advertisement And because Hart's comfortable with the second unit, sliding him out of the first five was never uncomfortable in the first place. 'For me, it wasn't a tough day,' Hart said. 'It was funny, because everyone was saying something to me, or guys would text me on other teams and all that, and I'm like, 'Bruh, I don't care.' I don't care if I start. I don't care if I play 20 minutes. If we win, we win. ... 'You know, whoever won the championship five years ago, you can't really — you have no idea who the starters are,' he continued. 'You know that those guys won. And they have that camaraderie and that connection for life. It doesn't matter how many points you score, doesn't matter how many minutes you play, doesn't matter if you started or not. It depends on if you win. And at the end of the day, that's the most important thing for me.'
New York Post
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Mitchell Robinson gave Knicks spark they needed in Game 5
The applause was thunderous when Mitchell Robinson was announced as a starter to the Garden crowd for the first time in this year's playoffs. With Karl-Anthony Towns scoring 24 points after coming into Thursday night's game listed as questionable due to a knee contusion suffered late in Game 4 two nights earlier, Robinson also contributed a handful of key plays at both ends of the floor to help the Knicks keep their season alive with a 111-94 victory in Game 5 at MSG. Advertisement Robinson, who replaced Josh Hart in the starting lineup to play alongside Towns in the middle two games in Indiana, finished with six points, six rebounds, two blocked shots and one steal in 20 minutes. 3 Myles Turner and Mitchell Robinson battle for a rebound during the first quarter of the Knicks' 111-94 Game 5 win over Pacers on May 29, 2025. Jason Szenes / New York Post Those defensive stats all occurred within a few Indiana possessions in the middle of the third quarter — a rejection of a Tyrese Haliburton drive, another block against Thomas Bryant and a steal off a bad pass by Andrew Nembhard that helped key a 10-0 run that led to a 72-52 lead. Advertisement Robinson also scooped up an offensive rebound for a put-back during that sequence. Asked before the game about sticking with the same lineup for a third straight game, coach Tom Thibodeau replied, 'It's just matchups and what's going on in the game. Sometimes it's impacted by foul trouble as well.' Follow The Post's coverage of the Knicks in the 2025 NBA Playoffs Sports+ subscribers: Sign up for Inside the Knicks to get daily newsletter coverage and join Expert Take for insider texts about the series. To wit, Towns netted 13 points in the second quarter to register 17 and 10 boards by halftime, but KAT picked up his fourth foul with the Knicks up 72-52 with 6:24 left in the third. Advertisement Pacers coach Rick Carlisle attempted to take advantage by intentionally fouling Robinson with the Hack-a-Mitch strategy employed by the Pistons and the Celtics in the first two rounds. Robinson has shot just 22-for-56 (39.3 percent) from the stripe in 17 postseason appearances this spring. 3 Miles McBride greets Mitchell Robinson during the first quarter of the Knicks' Game 5 win over the Pacers. Jason Szenes / New York Post Robinson missed two free throws with 4:17 left in the quarter, and he was replaced by Precious Achiuwa due to Towns' foul trouble. Advertisement Achiuwa chipped in a bucket in traffic during a 12-0 run that helped stretch the lead to 17 entering the final period. 3 Mitchell Robinson celebrates during the third quarter of the Knicks' Game 5 win over the Pacers. AP Robinson has logged fewer minutes than Hart in each of the three games since the switch by a sizable average of 12 minutes.
