All 76ers

Knicks Veteran Suffers Setback in Game 3 vs. Sixers

The New York Knicks are dealing with a key setback after Game 3 against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Justin Grasso|
Apr 20, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) after being
Apr 20, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) after being | Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

In this story:

New York KnicksPhiladelphia 76ers

Leading up to the Game 3 matchup between the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers, veteran Mitchell Robinson was downgraded to questionable on the injury report.

For Robinson, he was potentially set to miss the action as the Knicks have been monitoring his ankle injury. Considering Robinson missed a large chunk of the regular season due to his setback, the Knicks didn’t want to risk a long-term issue.

While the idea of holding Robinson out was floating around in the Knicks’ minds they ultimately decided to clear him for action.

Once again, Robinson checked in off the bench on Thursday night. He saw the court for nearly 12 minutes in the first half. During that time, Robinson made one of his three field goal attempts to score two points. He dominated on the glass, collecting seven rebounds, which led his team through the first two quarters.

Unfortunately, a physical game left Robinson dealing with a sprained left ankle. After checking in for a chunk of time in the first half, Robinson was ruled out officially for the final two quarters.

It appears that Robinson’s second-half absence wasn’t simply the Knicks being cautious. When the veteran was exiting the Wells Fargo Center after the Game 3 battle, he was spotted sporting a walking boot for his injured ankle.

While that doesn’t guarantee Robinson will miss time moving forward, it’s certainly something to keep an eye on in the coming days.

From December to March, Robinson missed time due to an injury. He returned to action on March 27, returning in the Knicks’ big win over the Toronto Raptors. When he resumed his play, Robinson went from a starting role to coming off the bench. He appeared in all but one of the Knicks’ final 11 games of the regular season.

Throughout the first two matchups against the Sixers in the playoffs, Robinson averaged 24 minutes on the floor, accounting for five points per game, along with eight rebounds. His status moving forward is currently unclear.

The Sixers and the Knicks will get two days off in between Games 3 and 4. On Sunday, the Knicks and the Sixers will meet in South Philly once again before heading back to Madison Square Garden for Game 5.

Published
Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia

Share on XFollow @JGrasso_
Home/News