The New York Knicks fell short of clinching a trip to the second round on Tuesday, but they got a highly impactful performance from center Mitchell Robinson despite the loss in Game 5 to the Detroit Pistons to force a Game 6.
Mitchell Robinson was tremendous for the Knicks in Game 5
In 23 minutes off the bench, Robinson scored 13 points and snagged 11 rebounds. He also grabbed two steals and blocked two shots as he looked the best he has looked since returning from ankle surgery back in late February.
Robinson’s effort on the glass was instrumental in keeping the Knicks within striking distance. Offensively, New York had a poor shooting performance and an off night from Jalen Brunson, but it was Robinson whose impact on both ends kept the Knicks in the game and allowed them to come back down double-digits.
Robinson will be huge for the Knicks moving forward
Head coach Tom Thibodeau praised Robinson for his performance in Game 5 following the conclusion of the game.
“I thought Mitch gave us a good lift, good energy,” Thibodeau said, per Peter Botte of the New York Post. “The rebounding was good enough. Defense was good enough. Our turnovers hurt us, so we’ve got to clean that up.”
Robinson will be a very important piece the rest of this series as well as the next round if they advance. Robinson provides the size and the paint protection that they didn’t have for most of the regular season, and with him playing at his best right now, the Knicks will hope that it continues as they try to make a deep playoff run.
The big man will look to continue his recent stretch of success on Thursday as the Knicks will try to close out the series on the road in Detroit.