Exhausted Robinson flexes new muscles in anticipated return

NEW YORK — Mitchell Robinson didn’t wait long to show off his new biceps to the Garden.

The 23-year-old center returned Friday after a seven-month absence because of a broken foot, logging 27 minutes with six points and nine rebounds while sometimes sucking wind through the fast-paced conditioning test.

It was a loud reintroduction. Robinson’s first points were courtesy of a thunderous putback dunk in the opening quarter. He celebrated under the basket by flexing his arms, which he bragged about expanding in the weight room during the extended rehab.

“I worked on my body the whole summer,” Robinson said, “so I got to show it off.”

But rust and fatigue were expected issues. Robinson also fell to the court thrice, popping back up while demonstrating his foot can handle a bump. Tom Thibodeau said before the game that Robinson’s minutes would be monitored, but starting center Taj Gibson fouled out early and “limited” turned into extended.

“We just wanted to see where he was,” Thibodeau said. “So we had two different plans. We had one with shorter minutes [and] one to get him in, let him play, let him get his second wind, get him out, put him back. And we kept checking with the trainers.

“He’s actually done a lot in practice; he comes back every night as well. So I know where he is. He just needs the contact so he can get his timing.”

Robinson was gassed.

“Yes,” he said, “I felt real tired. It’s getting there [with conditioning]. I don’t think I’m at the halfway point yet, but I’m right there.”

Still, a minutes threshold was reached in the fourth quarter and Robinson watched from the bench as the Knicks completed their comeback over the Wizards, 115-113. It was capped by a buzzer-beating game-winner from Julius Randle, and the Garden crowd exploded.

It was Robinson’s first appearance since March, when he fractured his fifth metatarsal by landing awkwardly in Milwaukee. His recovery took much longer than anticipated and Robinson was only recently cleared for full contact.

After finishing Friday’s win unscathed, Robinson is on track for the regular-season opener Wednesday against the Celtics.

“He’ll keep moving forward as long as he doesn’t have any setbacks, which I can’t foresee,” Thibodeau said. “It’s still a conditioning aspect of it, but he’s done real well. So we feel really good about where he is.”

Notes: The Knicks are taking a flier on former first-round pick Luka Samanic, a 21-year-old Croatian stretch power forward who flamed out with the Spurs.

Samanic, who was drafted 19th by the Spurs just two years ago, is signing a two-way contract and could spend time in the G League. He played 33 games last season for San Antonio, averaging 3.7 points while shooting 45%. Samanic was waived by the Spurs this week.

The Knicks, meanwhile, waived Dwayne Bacon, who was a candidate for the final roster spot but didn’t fit Thibodeau’s mold for that position.