SAN ANTONIO — A side benefit of the Knicks’ foul issues and drama Friday was a longer look at Mitchell Robinson, who played all but 12 seconds of overtime and felt good about the performance.
The downside is that he also came up with an injury, spraining his left ankle (not his surgically repaired one) after landing awkwardly on a dunk attempt.
The center, who recently returned from a 50-game injury absence, is listed as “questionable” for an Easter Sunday showdown against the Thunder despite postgame assurances that he was physically fine.
“I think I played a solid game for my second game back,” Robinson said. “What did I get, seven [points] and 12 [rebounds]?
“We’re getting right back to the action. Isn’t that what I averaged before I went out? Yeah, come back like a champ.”
Robinson’s 20 overall minutes represented his longest appearance since Dec. 5, a span of nearly four months that included his right ankle surgery.
His seven offensive boards brought back memories of Robinson’s All-Defense candidacy in the beginning of this campaign.
But it was hardly perfect.
Or smooth.
Beyond the ankle sprain, Robinson, who played the overtime because Isaiah Hartenstein fouled out at the end of regulation, missed six of his nine shot attempts, clearly bothered underneath the basket by Victor Wembanyama’s Elastic Man presence.
The Knicks were outscored by 10 points with Robinson, who is now the clear backup, on the court.
His net rating was a rough minus-23 compared to Hartenstein’s plus-15.3.
Part of that rating is because Robinson played a few ugly minutes in the fourth quarter without Jalen Brunson, and the Knicks’ offense goes in the tank without Brunson.
In addition, a couple of Robinson’s missed field goals were unfair to count since they were tips off offensive rebounds without full possession.
But he also understood rhythm was an issue.
“Timing is off. It’s brutal,” Robinson said. “I think I was playing really well [before the injury]. Then sitting out the four months, it throws … your whole timing off. But it is what it is. I’m not going to use that as an excuse. I can be better. I’m a basketball player. I’ve been in this six years.”
It’s a process.
Both with maintaining his health and establishing a rhythm.
That’s why it was good for Robinson to return with a runway before the playoffs — and why it’s more concerning the longer Julius Randle remains inactive.
In Robinson’s first game back from surgery Wednesday against the Raptors, the vibe was more relaxed in a blowout victory. Friday’s atmosphere in San Antonio was intense — like a playoff game.
The Spurs (18-56), despite their draft lottery status, played up to the intensity of their crowd and won their third straight. The Knicks (44-29) fell from third to fourth in the East.
“First game, getting the vibe back of playing in front of a big crowd,” Robinson said. “And the second game — do it with a little more energy.”
Despite the latest tweak to his right ankle, the 25-year-old said the recovery from the stress fracture in his left ankle has been a lot easier than after the fractured right foot sustained in 2021.
“That one the bone just snapped on the foot. The fifth metatarsal just broke,” Robinson said. “This one was just like a hairline fracture. … This one is a whole lot easier than the last one. Last one, I was out [about six months]. This one is not so bad.”
