The New York Knicks are sitting back and watching the Eastern Conference Finals play out, waiting to find out who they’ll face in the NBA Finals. But while they wait, a concerning injury update has just dropped — and it’s not the kind of news you want six days before the biggest stage in basketball.
One of their key frontcourt players went under the knife. Surgery. Right hand. And the clock is ticking. It happened during Game 4 against the Cleveland Cavaliers — buried in the chaos of a playoff battle, easy to miss in the moment. But it didn’t stay buried for long. Reports started floating around, videos circulated on social media, and eventually it was confirmed — the injury did occur during game action and it was serious enough to require surgery on a broken right pinky finger.
For a team this close to the Finals, the timing couldn’t be any worse.
Mitchell Robinson. The Knicks’ enforcer, their frontcourt presence, the man who does the unglamorous but absolutely essential work that makes New York’s system tick. And according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Robinson has already undergone surgery — but here’s the twist nobody saw coming.
He’s planning to play in Game 1 anyway. Brace on his hand and everything.
Why This Actually Isn’t As Scary As It Sounds
Here’s the thing about Robinson’s role — he doesn’t exactly need his pinky finger to do what he does best. The man rebounds, blocks shots, rolls to the basket and dunks everything in sight. It’s not like he’s out there running pick and roll sequences that require delicate fingerwork.
Will it affect him? Probably a little. Will it stop him? Apparently not.
If Robinson does have to sit or play limited minutes though, Ariel Hukporti is waiting in the wings and ready to step in. The Knicks have shown all season that their depth is genuinely scary — this isn’t a squad that falls apart when one piece goes missing.
Why It Still Matters Heading Into The Finals
Whether they face the Thunder or the Spurs, the Knicks are going to need their big men firing. OKC have Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein patrolling the paint. The Spurs have Victor Wembanyama — a walking nightmare for any frontcourt in the league.
Robinson sharing the floor with Karl-Anthony Towns or backing him up gives New York a physical presence that opponents genuinely have to game plan for. A hobbled Robinson is still useful. No Robinson at all is a different conversation entirely.
For now though — he’s coming. Broken finger, fresh surgery, six days to tip off and absolutely zero intention of missing it.
That’s either incredibly tough or slightly unhinged. Probably both. 🏀🔥
