SAN ANTONIO — The longest-tenured Knick made the most of his opportunity.
With Karl-Anthony Towns in foul trouble, Mitchell Robinson was called upon to play his most minutes of the playoffs.
He stood tall.
Robinson not only grabbed 10 rebounds in 20 minutes and helped limit Spurs 7-foot-4 unicorn Victor Wembanyama to 7-of-19 shooting, but he hauled in the biggest offensive rebound of his career, and one of the most important ones in Knicks history.
With the Knicks ahead by three, Robinson got to a Josh Hart missed free throw with 22 seconds to go. Robinson quickly got rid of the ball and into the hands of OG Anunoby, who hit one of two free throws.
A former second-round draft pick, Robinson has seen it all as a Knick. He experienced bad times, he experienced good times and now he has experienced the ultimate: A championship, helping to snap the franchise’s 53-year drought.
Robinson survived being part of teams that lost at least 45 games in three of his first four seasons in the NBA, and he was part of this renaissance under team president Leon Rose and superstar guard Jalen Brunson that has taken him all the way to the sport’s greatest stage.
Before the finals, Robinson suffered a fracture of the fifth metacarpal in his right hand during the Knicks’ break after sweeping the Cavaliers out of the Eastern Conference finals.
Surgery was required. But Robinson insisted he was never concerned, despite having to wear a black brace on his right hand.
In the clincher, he came up big.