Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The Knicks are trending toward full health heading into Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the Spurs.
- Mitchell Robinson is probable with a pinky injury but managed to contribute in Game 1 despite significant limitations.
- How his minutes are managed against the Spurs' star big man will be critical for New York's chances of stealing another road win.
The New York Knicks pulled off an impressive 14-point, second-half comeback to win Game 1 of the NBA Finals on the road. They absolutely earned the win but caught some breaks they won't be able to count on in Game 2 — like the San Antonio Spurs shooting 11-of-43 (25.6 percent) from beyond the arc. Stealing a second game on the road is going to take everything the Knicks have and luckily, they're trending toward being completely healthy.
Mitchell Robinson is the only player listed in the injury report for either team heading into Game 2. He sustained a broken pinky on his shooting hand sometime after the Knicks finished the Eastern Conference Finals, but was able to play in Game 1 with that hand heavily wrapped.
Mitchell Robinson is probable for Game 2 of the NBA Finals
Robinson is listed as probable in the official injury report. Given that designation and the fact that he played in Game 1, he'll almost certainly be on the court tonight for Game 2. The question then is how much he'll be able to play and how effective he'll be in his minutes with that wrap on his broken pinky and shooting hand.
In the 13 minutes he was on the court in Game 1, the Knicks were outscored by four points — not a terrible result, all things considered. Robinson was 1-of-2 from the field, missed his only free throw attempt and grabbed six rebounds, one on the offensive glass. Those are solid contributions but his defense on Victor Wembanyama left a lot to be desired.
By the NBA's matchup stats, Robinson was Wemby's primary defender for 11.70 possessions in Game 1. The Spurs cored 14 points on those possessions, with 7 coming from Wemby. That works out to a team scoring rate of about 120 points per 100 possessions, a number the Knicks were able to survive but certainly can't be scaled up.
Projected Knicks starting lineup with Mitchell Robinson in Game 2
STARTER | POSITION | BENCH |
|---|---|---|
Jalen Brunson | PG | Miles McBride |
Josh Hart | SG | Landry Shamet |
Mikal Bridges | SF | Landry Shamet |
OG Anunoby | PF | Mitchell Robinson |
Karl-Anthony Towns | C | Mitchell Robinson |
The Knicks got huge performances from several bench players in Game 1, which helped keep it close when the Spurs were in front. Landry Shamet and Miles McBride were also key in the comeback and will need to step up again in Game 2.
Mike Brown and the Knicks will likely keep their rotations very similar in Game 2, which means 10-15 minutes for Robinson as long as Karl-Anthony Towns can stay out of foul trouble. His minutes were linked with Brunson's which makes sense — the Knicks aren't going to want KAT and Brunson on the bench at the same time if they can help it. Twelve of Robinson's 13 minutes in Game 1 were also played with Shamet, keeping an extra floor spacer out there when Robinson is battling in the paint.
As much as possible, Brown will likely try to pair Robinson's minutes with Wemby's rest, matching up with Luke Kornet. The Spurs' backup big man struggled mightily in Game 1 and that structure gives the Knicks the best chance of keeping it close when Wemby is on the floor and running up the score when he's out.
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