New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson broke his right pinky finger earlier this week and there is no timetable for his return, according to multiple reports on Thursday.
The Knicks are playing in the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999, beginning Wednesday against the winner of the Western Conference finals. Oklahoma City plays Thursday night against host San Antonio with a 3-2 lead on the Spurs in the best-of-seven series.
Robinson, 28, had eight points and 10 rebounds in 18 minutes in the Knicks’ 130-93 win over the host Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 4 on Monday to sweep their way to the Eastern Conference championship.
It is unclear how and when Robinson was injured, per the reports.
The main backup to six-time All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns, Robinson is averaging 5.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 14.2 minutes per game while shooting a league-leading 73.7% from the field (28 of 38) in 13 playoff games as a reserve. He also has 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.
New York’s third-string center is second-year player Ariel Hukporti, a 7-footer who played in 54 regular-season games (five starts) and averaged 2.2 points, 2.9 rebounds and 9.2 minutes.
For his career, Robinson averages 7.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.7 blocks and 23.4 minutes in 397 regular-season games (215 starts).
The longest-tenured Knicks player, Robinson was selected by New York in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft out of Western Kentucky.
