Down 0-2, the Knicks will need to take care of business on the road if they want any shot at reaching the NBA Finals.
There weren’t many positives to take away from their Game 2 loss, but Mitchell Robinson’s play was one of few to key in on.
The 7-footer appears to have gained the trust of head coach Tom Thibodeau, playing big minutes late into the fourth quarter instead of the brief cameos he’s had during this playoff run.
Robinson played a playoff-high 29 minutes during the loss, scoring six points while pulling down nine rebounds and blocking three shots.
In the second half, Thibodeau played Robinson over Karl-Anthony Towns, who played just 13 minutes after halftime, a playoff low.
Robinson, meanwhile, played 14 minutes in the second half in what could be a sign of things to come for the Knicks’ rotation.
The plus-minus stats bear out Thibodeau’s tough lineup decision – Towns was a game-worst -20 while Robinson was a Knicks-high +6.
Betting on the NBA?
Robinson has been a major X-factor in limited minutes since coming back from injury, and it appears he’s ready to ratchet up his playing time.
With Robinson’s conditioning catching up and trust from Thibodeau gaining steam as well, look for the Knicks center to get more playing time on Sunday – and fill up the box score along the way.
The play: Mitchell Robinson to have more than 13.5 points + rebounds (-110, BetMGM Sportsbook)
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Dylan Svoboda is a versatile writer and analyst across many sports. He’s particularly knowledgeable about the big three — MLB, the NFL and the NBA.
