Knicks center Mitchell Robinson began Game 1 of New York’s Eastern Conference first-round series against the Pistons on the bench, but he got fans out of their seats with his second-quarter slam dunk.
Robinson rose above Pistons center Isaiah Stewart for the ferocious one-handed jam off a miss on a floater from point guard Jalen Brunson, giving New York a one-point lead, 46-45, in a back-and-forth first half that ended with the Knicks holding a 57-55 advantage.
Robinson, a 2018 second-round pick (No. 36 overall), only played 17 games this season, debuting on Feb. 28 after rehabbing from May 2024 ankle surgery, his second procedure on the ankle in six months. He averaged 5.1 points and 5.9 rebounds in 17.1 minutes per game as New York slowly worked him back into the lineup.
Robinson is a valuable rotation member behind the starting center, Karl-Anthony Towns, which gives New York quality front-court depth.
Robinson played 14 minutes in the first half, scoring six points on 3-of-3 shooting, and adding five rebounds (three offensive, two defensive), one steal, and one block.
The seven-year NBA veteran will be particularly useful against the Pistons, one of the league’s top inside-scoring teams. Per Team Rankings, Detroit is fifth in the NBA in points in the paint per game (52.8). New York entered the playoffs with the second-worst block rate (4.5 percent).
In a series with Brunson, Towns and Pistons point guard Cade Cunningham, Robinson isn’t one of the biggest stars for the first round. But he could be among the most important.
