Knicks Center Flattered By Celtics' Attention

Here's to you, Mr. Robinson. The New York Knicks' opponents love you more than you will know.

Mitchell Robinson does at least have an idea of the real estate he occupies in the minds of the Boston Celtics: following the Knicks' 91-90 triumph over the defending champions on Wednesday night, one that gave them a highly-unexpected 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven conference semifinal set, Robinson admitted he was flattered by the attention the Celtics have placed upon him, namely their desperate attempts to get him on the foul line.

"Actually, that makes me feel like I'm a threat," Robinson said in video from SNY. "I'm just saying, you're trying to get me out the game? Why do you want me out of the game?”

Robinson's conventional and advanced outputs readily tell the story: New York was a sterling plus-19 on the scoreboard during his 22-plus minutes of action on Wednesday night, by far the highest among Knicks and eight ahead of Boston's top competitor, fellow reserve center Luke Kornet. Robinson also pulled in eight rebounds, scored six points and swiped three steals in yet another narrow yet emphatic Knicks playoff victory.

Boston continued to harass the longest-tenured New Yorker when he was on the floor, trying to get the traditional center on the foul line to expose his weakness shooting singles. The Celtics had previously forced Robinson into a brutal 3-of-10 output from the charity stripe in Game 1 on Monday, allowing them to build a 20-point lead that the Knicks eventually erased.

While Boston did force Robinson into an egregious airball at the foul line in the second half, he and the Knicks proved willing to play the Celtics' game of "Bewitch-a-Mitch": the Knicks let Boston toy with Robinson for a bit but would sub him out once they were at the cusp of the bonus. That more or less forced Boston to play Robinson cleanly and let him work his interior magic, which continues to rank near the top of all playoff competitors when adjusted for 48-minute/100-possession averages.

Wednesday's game followed a similar script to Monday's, as the Knicks once again deleted a double-decade deficit to earn a win in front of a stunned Beantown crowd. Robinson was once again relied upon during the Knicks' most crucial defensive possessions once the game narrowed in the final stages.

While Jayson Tatum sped by Robinson for a double that gave the Celtics the late lead back, he bore down on the six-time All-Star when Jalen Brunson established the final margin with singles of his own. Robinson's pressure forced Tatum toward the corner, where he ended up in a Mikal Bridges/OG Anunoby double-team. Tatum's attempt to toss the ball away was gobbled up by Bridges, who flung the ball away to run out the clock and secure the improbable second victory.

TWO GAMES!

TWO GAME-SEALING STOPS FOR MIKAL BRIDGES! pic.twitter.com/YkEtaS8WhH
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 8, 2025

It's only natural that Robinson would play a major part in what stands as the most golden championship opportunity the Knicks have had in quite some time. The tenured center is the lone leftover from the pre-Tom Thibodeau/Leon Rose era and played both witness and participant in some of the leanest seasons in Knicks history.

Now, he's a major contributor in the continued magic and has placed the Knicks in a position where over 85 percent of its obtainers (earning a 2-0 series lead on the road in an NBA playoff series) earns advancement. In second round play, Robinson is second among all participants in plus/minus (plus-32), behind only Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

"We're just defending the city," Robinson said in video from SNY. "Just out there playing basketball, making sure we get the job done."

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