Robinson lends hand in return
Mitchell Robinson was back doing Mitchell Robinson things for the Knicks in his first game in more than a month.
Robinson finished with 10 points, 12 rebounds and a plus-13 rating in 28 minutes Friday night in a 115-109 win at Washington. It was his first appearance since he had right thumb surgery on Jan. 19.
“Still have work that needs to be done, so I’m gonna take it day by day,” Robinson said. “Still trying to get better at stuff I’m normally already used to doing. So just gotta lock in and get better at it.
“We only got 22 games left [now 21] in 40-something days. So we’re gonna make the best of it and get it right.”
The 7-footer didn’t look rusty at the start, slamming home a lobbed feed from Jalen Brunson barely one minute into the game. He added a tap-in less than a minute later, and converted another dunk midway through the first quarter for six early points. He also scored a big inside bucket off a feed from Julius Randle to put the Knicks up by four with 11 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
“The rebounding is terrific. He had the big bucket late in the game, when Julius found him. That was a big play,” coach Tom Thibodeau said of Robinson. “Offensive rebounds in traffic, the kick outs. Multiple effort on defense, just his size out there, I think that’s critical for us.”
Second-year center Jericho Sims had made 14 straight starts in Robinson’s absence, but he was dropped from the rotation. Backup center Isaiah Hartenstein finished with four points and 10 rebounds in 20 minutes.
➤ The Suns already acquired Kevin Durant from the Nets before the trade deadline, and they are keeping tabs on another former league MVP with New York ties in the buyout market.
Derrick Rose was identified as a “primary candidate” for the Suns if he’s bought out by the Knicks, according to Bleacher Report. The longtime Thibodeau favorite hasn’t appeared in a game since Dec. 31. The 34-year-old Rose earns $14.5 million this season with a club option for 2023-24 season worth $15.6 million.
➤ The Knicks will celebrate the 50th anniversary of their 1972-73 championship team — the most recent title in franchise history — at halftime of their game Saturday night against the Pelicans. … Evan Fournier was unavailable Friday due to a non-COVID illness.