Pinkie finger injury won't keep Knicks center Mitchell Robinson out of NBA Finals Game 1, reports say
Knicks fans are breathing a sigh of relief over reports that center Mitchell Robinson expects to play in Game 1 of the NBA Finals next week.
The team got the best possible news from bad news: Robinson underwent surgery on a fractured pinkie finger this week. He didn't avoid injury, but he'll avoid an absence.
Reports say Robinson fully intends to play in Wednesday's game.
That's significant because of what he does on the court. He's not asked to score 30 points a game; he's the one doing the dirty work, fighting for rebounds, protecting the rim, exhausting the other big guys.
This is not an injury that will create a hole in the lineup, but it does create some questions of how effective Robinson can be.
Coach Mike Brown revealed the injury didn't happen during a game or in practice. Brown was officially noncommittal on Robinson's availability, but did shed light on his approach to coaching injured players.
"If somebody does get hurt, please, I ask, our performance people know this – don't tell me," he said. "Go tell [Knicks President] Leon [Rose]. Go tell– you guys talk about it, hash it out, and when somebody is ready to go, let me know. Because I'll get screwed up."
The Knicks still don't know who they will be facing in the NBA Finals. The San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder face off in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals on Saturday.
