Despite big game by Mitchell Robinson, Knicks fall to Jazz

SALT LAKE CITY — Nights like Monday leave the Knicks with tough decisions on other days — such as Thursday, when they will face the NBA trade deadline.

Mitchell Robinson put together the sort of dominating big man performance that his potential has hinted at for years, piling up career highs of 21 rebounds and 10 offensive boards to go with 19 points, three blocks and two steals. But even that, along with a 30-point night from Julius Randle, was not enough for the Knicks to beat Utah.

The Jazz handed the Knicks their ninth loss in the last 11 games, 113-104, at Vivint Arena, dropping them a season-high six games under .500 at 24-30.

" it was a great effort by [Robinson]," coach Tom Thibodeau said. "I thought the start of the game was terrific, his effort, I thought the starters gave us a lot and got us off to a good start. I thought we played really well for three quarters and then the start of the fourth, we didn’t play well. I thought that and our turnovers hurt us down the stretch."

Alec Burks' three-point play pulled the Knicks within 98-97 with 4:59 remaining, but dunks by Udoka Azubuike and Bojan Bogdanovic and a three-point play by Donovan Mitchell made it 105-97 with 1:08 to play.

Mitchell had 32 points, Bogdanovic 20, Mike Conley 18 and Jordan Clarkson 16 for the Jazz (33-21).

RJ Barrett had 23 and Evan Fournier added 16 for the Knicks, who took a 21-9 lead and again went ahead by 12 at 82-70 after a 24-2 run.

Then the Knicks' sloppy, sluggish fourth quarter took the luster off Robinson’s best performance of the season.

The Knicks have enjoyed watching Robinson's growth from a raw, athletic big to a, well, still-raw-in-some-ways center who anchors the team’s defense. But as the trade deadline approaches, they also have to consider the uncertainty of his future with the franchise.

Selected in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft without a season of college ball, Robinson has gotten stronger and smarter defensively. For a coach like Thibodeau who starts his defensive game plans with a rim-protecting center, Robinson holds huge value.

But by not extending him last summer, the Knicks find themselves in the odd position of possibly losing him as an unrestricted free agent in the offseason. They are limited with what they can offer him until he becomes unrestricted and available to any team. At that time, holding his Bird rights, the Knicks could pay him up to 25% of the $121 million salary cap for 2022-23 — but that is unlikely.

"Whatever happens happens," Robinson said. "Really, I mean, I’m just here to play basketball. That’s the main thing. It’s still in the season. You’re not worried about the offseason or the break. Focus on what’s in front of us. Got a game today."

In that game, he was dominant for much of the night. With Rudy Gobert still sidelined with a hamstring strain, the Jazz started Azubuike and Robinson took advantage from the start, piling up 10 points and seven rebounds in the first quarter.

Maybe the most impressive play was one that didn’t make the boxscore. He stole an inbounds pass, raced the length of the court and took a lob from Burks that he caught and slammed in for a reverse dunk — but it was waved off because of a foul call before the shot.

Robinson originally was signed to a three-year, $4.7 million deal. The Knicks exercised a team option for $1.8 million this season rather than allowing him to become a restricted free agent, which would have given them the chance to match any offer.

It wasn’t an unreasonable decision. Robinson was coming off a season in which he played only 31 games while rehabilitating from a broken hand and then a broken foot. The latter injury is one that carries risks of recurrence with NBA big men.

Before Robinson hits free agency in the offseason, the Knicks can offer him a four-year deal that would start at approximately $12 million and total about $54 million. But he could look at contracts such as the five-year, $100 million deal Jarrett Allen received from Cleveland or the two-year, $46 million extension Atlanta gave Clint Capela and decide to hit the open market.

"I’m just going to continue to play hard, see what happens," he said. "I don’t think about It that much. I just want to hoop."

Notes & quotes: Kemba Walker was held out of Monday night's game, the front end of a back-to-back set. He has struggled through issues with his left knee, and the Knicks seem resigned to holding him out of half of the back-to-back sets . . . Quentin Grimes also was held out with a sore left knee.

By Steve Popper

steve.popper@newsday.com@StevePopper

Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.