Knicks C Mitchell Robinson appears off bench in Finals Game 1

New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson, listed as questionable for Game 1 of the NBA Finals due to a hand injury, came off the bench to play against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday.

He entered with 4:13 to play in the first quarter and New York ahead 14-12, replacing Karl-Anthony Towns.

Robinson had been listed as questionable for the game following surgery to repair the fractured fifth metacarpal bone in his right hand.

ESPN reported that he participated in light shooting and dribbling drills during Tuesday’s open practice and wore a wrap over his shooting hand and right wrist.

Robinson, 28, tallied eight points and 10 rebounds in 18 minutes on May 25 as the Knicks completed their sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals and won their 11th consecutive game.

The Knicks then had to wait for the conclusion of the Western Conference finals, with the Spurs beating the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday in Game 7.

New York coach Mike Brown said previously that Robinson was not injured during a game or practice. The coach said on Tuesday that Robinson went through individual drills in New York before the team flew to San Antonio.

The Spurs host the first two games of the best-of-seven Finals on Wednesday and Friday, then the series moves to New York for Games 3 and 4 on Monday and June 10.

The backup to Towns, a six-time All-Star, Robinson entered Wednesday averaging 5.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 14.2 minutes per playoff game while shooting a league-leading 73.7% from the field (28 of 38) in 13 games as a reserve. He had made only 13 of 43 free-throw attempts (30.2%).

During the regular season, Robinson averaged 5.7 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and 19.6 minutes in 60 games (16 starts) and finished eighth in voting for NBA Sixth Man of the Year.

For his career, Robinson has averaged 7.5 points, 8.0 boards, 1.7 blocks and 23.4 minutes in 397 regular-season games (215 starts) with New York. The Knicks’ longest-tenured player was selected in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft out of Western Kentucky.

–Field Level Media