Knicks' Mitchell Robinson rounding into form after knee injury
Knicks center Mitchell Robinson dunks during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Detroit Pistons, Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022, in Detroit. Credit: AP/Carlos Osorio
Minutes after scoring 15 points and grabbing 20 rebounds in the Knicks’ 109-103 loss to Milwaukee on Wednesday night, Mitchell Robinson said he can do better because he’s still working himself into shape after missing eight games with a sprained right knee.
“I’m not completely where I want to be,” said Robinson, who played 33:05 after playing 26:14 the night before in Detroit. “So I have got to keep going in there and getting some extra conditioning after games and practices. I have probably about 65% of my stamina right now, so there is plenty of room to improve.
“I’m not all the way there. But I am going to play through it as best as I can. It’s part of the game. It happens. So whatever I need to get back to being myself, I am going to do it.”
Robinson, who had 11 offensive rebounds, picked up his first double-double of the season and 45th of his career. It was his third career game with at least 20 rebounds. His high is 21.
“That was one of the more impressive efforts I’ve seen from an individual on the offensive boards,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “He was relentless.”
Robinson might have been most proud of being able to stay out of foul trouble and stay on the court playing against a pair of 7-footers in Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez.
“The last time we played them (on Oct. 30), I almost fouled out,” said Robinson, who was called for two fouls on Wednesday. “So I had to come out with a different mindset. I had to learn from my mistakes last game and bring it to this game.”
RJ Barrett, who led the Knicks with 26 points but missed a potential game-tying three-pointer in the last minutes, said of Robinson: “He was huge. He got a lot of offensive rebounds and putbacks, kicked out some (for) threes, and those were huge for us. His activity level was very amazing.”
Antetokounmpo, who scored 37 points before fouling out with just under a minute left, was impressed by Robinson’s effort.
“If they miss, Mitchell Robinson is so effective behind you,” Antetokounmpo said. “He is so big, like 7-1 or 7-2, and he’s able to get the offensive rebound by himself.”
Robinson is listed as 7-feet tall. But if a two-time MVP wants to give you an extra inch or two, why not take it?
Antetokounmpo’s sixth foul came against Robinson with the Knicks trailing 103-101. Robinson, a 44% free-throw shooter, hit the first and missed the second.
But Robinson got his own rebound – his final one of the night – and eventually Jalen Brunson (a 90% free-throw shooter who missed three of four in the game) hit one of two free throws to tie the game at 103.
But the Bucks scored the last six points to improve to 15-5 and drop the Knicks to 10-12.
Two assigned to Westchester. The Knicks, who don’t play until they host Dallas on Saturday, assigned Miles McBride and Jericho Sims to Westchester so they could play for the G League team on Thursday night.
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
