Category: Sports News

The Knicks could be without Mitchell Robinson when the NBA Finals start next week.

SNY's Ian Begley reports thatRobinson has suffered a broken right pinky finger and no timetable has been set for his return.

Robinson has been a crucial part of the Knicks' playoff run. In the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cavaliers, Robinson provided crucial minutes, impacting the game with his signature defense and rebounding prowess. In the clinching Game 4, Robinson scored eight points on 4-of-6 shooting, grabbed 10 rebounds, and was a plus-14 on the court in his 18 minutes of play. 

The Knicks will head to either San Antonio or Oklahoma City for Game 1 of the finals starting Wednesday, June 3. 

Robinson was expected to play a big role in the series, no matter who the Knicks end up squaring off against.

If the Knicks face the Spurs, Robinson could be the physical, tall center to match up with Victor Wembyanama. If the Thunder advance, Robinson could be used alongside Karl-Anthony Towns to combat OKC's massive frontcourt of Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein. 

Robinson, who will be an unrestricted free agent this upcoming offseason, averaged 5.7 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks across 60 games this season. His 60 games were the most Robinson has played in a single season since he played 59 games in 2022-23.  

The New York Knicks, with the NBA Finals looming, had been playing with everyone at full health. That’s reportedly no longer the case.

Backup center Mitchell Robinson, a high-energy spark plug known for his defense and rebounding, reportedly suffered a broken right pinky finger earlier this week, according to The Athletic.

According to the report, there were no details about how Robinson suffered the broken pinky, nor was there any indication about how much time he may miss.

The NBA Finals begin Wednesday, June 3, and the Knicks will play the winner of the Western Conference finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs.

As it turns out, the Knicks aren’t fully healthy. 

Mitchell Robinson suffered a broken pinky on his right shooting hand, sources confirmed Thursday night, and there is no timetable for his return. 

It’s a tough blow for the Knicks as they practice at their facility in Tarrytown, waiting for their opponent in the NBA Finals — either the Thunder or the Spurs. 

It’s unclear when or how the Robinson suffered the injury, or whether he’s out for the NBA Finals or could possibly play with the fractured finger. 

Depending on the severity of the fracture, Robinson could play through the injury if he can deal with the pain, according to Dr. Samir Sohda, Assistant professor at Hackensack University Medical Center and chief of hand surgery at Hackensack University Medical Center. 

“It all depends on the severity of the fracture and where the fracture is in the digit,” Sohda said. “There are some fractures that may need pinning, maybe even plate and screws, depending on the severity of the fracture. If it’s a minor fracture, we call it an avulsion fracture. Still a fracture, still hurts, but technically it’s a stable fracture where you’re able to just tape the fingers, not cast, and play.” 

Sohda said it is hard to read anything into what the lack of a timetable means. 

“It can mean two things: one, they are seeking others opinions, which is more ominous, or two, if it was that obvious, he would have had surgery already,” he said. “It could mean both ways.” 

If he’s out, it’s potentially a big problem for the Knicks. The 28-year-old represents New York’s biggest player and best rebounder, especially on the offensive glass. Without him, the Knicks only have two centers — Karl-Anthony Towns — who is a fantastic offensive talent and defensive rebounder but susceptible to foul trouble — and Ariel Hukporti — a second-year player who logged sparse minutes in the regular season and playoffs. 

Robinson missed Game 2 of the 76ers series and Hukporti filled in for him, playing seven minutes in the team’s 108-102 win. He scored two points and grabbed three rebounds — but also committed four fouls.

Robinson’s presence provides the Knicks the ability to deal with either San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama or OKC’s frontcourt of Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren. 

“Mitch is unique, so no matter who we play, Mitch is extremely important to what we’re trying to do, the way he offensive rebounds, the way he’s a vertical threat in the pick-and-roll game, the way he protects the rim, his versatility guarding,” coach Mike Brown said during the playoffs. “All that stuff is extremely important for us in this series. We need him to bring it at a high level, as well as everybody else.” 

Robinson was coming off one of his better playoff performances in Monday’s closeout win over the Cavaliers, when he had 10 rebounds and eight points. 

Robinson did not speak to the media but was in good spirits, having quickly dressed and ready to leave with food before the media was allowed in the locker room. 

“I love y’all, but I’m trying to go,” he said. 

Most of Robinson’s playoffs have been a roller coaster, however, defined by poor foul shooting. 

Opposing teams have deployed Hack-A-Mitch with more regularity, keeping Robinson’s minutes down because he’s schemed off the court. 

He is shooting just 30 percent from the charity stripe in the playoffs. During the conference finals, he acknowledged struggles with mental health. 

“I’m deleting all apps for a little while until I can get back to myself,” Robinson posted to social media during the conference finals. “I had a very upsetting experience a few days ago. I’m not gonna go into detail about it, just gonna focus on the playoffs and myself. 

“I know some of you have called and texted and it popped up green. That’s because I got a new [phone] number. My mental health is not the best right now but I am fighting to get back on track while playing on the biggest stage in the world in the Eastern Conference finals.” 

Robinson will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer as the only player in New York’s top seven operating on an expiring contract. 

The Robinson news is an eerie coincidence for the Knicks, who were absent another center due to injury — in this case, a star one in Patrick Ewing — in their last NBA Finals appearance in 1999. They lost in five games to the Spurs.

For weeks, the men’s college basketball transfer portal had calmed down after a frenetic stretch in April and early May in which more than 1,000 Division I players left their previous schools and decided on a new home.

Now, the biggest prize available is back on the market.

Former Iowa State forward Milan Momcilovic, the No. 1 player in USA TODAY Sports’ transfer portal rankings, withdrew his name from the 2026 NBA Draft ahead of the deadline Wednesday, May 27 and is headed back to college.

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As a projected second-round pick, Momcilovic’s decision isn’t particularly surprising, especially since he stands to make significantly more money in NIL by continuing to play in college rather than going pro. And there are several teams eagerly awaiting to make him one of the highest-paid players in the sport.

With Momcilovic off the NBA board, one of the most efficient players offensively in the sport last season is once again on the market, a development that has the interest of some of the country’s best and most well-resourced programs. Momcilovic will reportedly be deciding between Kentucky, Louisville and Arizona, with a commitment expected in the next several days.

Where do things stand in what figures to be a whirlwind recruitment for Momcilovic? And what school potentially fits him the best?

Here’s a closer look at the options for Momcilovic:

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Milan Momcilovic transfer portal options

Kentucky

Why it makes sense: As a 6-8 wing who shot 48.7% from 3-point range on 7.5 attempts per game last season, Momcilovic is a seamless fit for coach Mark Pope’s up-tempo, 3-heavy offense. It’s been a challenging offseason for the Wildcats, who have whiffed on many of their top recruiting targets, but those misses could serve them well in their quest for Momcilovic. Not only will they have a bigger role in the team’s offense than his other suitors might, but they figure to be able to have the most money to offer, without as many NIL resources tied up in other high-profile transfers. They're the reported frontrunner for a reason.

Why it doesn’t: Of his three possible destinations, Kentucky is projected to be the worst of the group heading into next season. While Momcilovic would improve the team’s outlook, it is currently outside the top 25 in virtually every early ranking for the 2026-27 campaign. Would Momcilovic, who played a huge role for an Iowa State team that was at least a No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament in each of his three seasons there, trade that in for a potential middle-of-the-road SEC team his Cyclones thumped in the second round of the tournament last season despite being down their best player?

Louisville

Why it makes sense: Perhaps no program has had a more productive offseason than the Cardinals, who boast USA TODAY Sports' as the No. 3 transfer class. For all the talent Pat Kelsey has amassed this season, his squad is still lacking a No. 1, go-to scorer, a void Momcilovic could easily fill while taking Louisville from a preseason top-15 team to one that finds its way into the top 10 or even top five. He’s a sensible schematic fit in the Cardinals’ frontcourt, too. Momcilovic could stretch the floor in a way Kansas transfer Flory Bidunga, a more traditional center, can’t while Bidunga’s rim-protecting prowess makes up for some of Momcilovic’s defensive deficiencies.

Why it doesn’t: With so many of their NIL resources tied up in Bidunga, Jackson Shelstad and an enormous transfer haul, the Cardinals likely won’t have as big of an offer as Kentucky figures to present. Despite all of the talent that has been assembled in Louisville, it’s also fair to question how far the team can go under Kelsey, a relatively unproven coach at the power-conference level who’s coming off a disappointing 2025-26 season.

Arizona

Why it makes sense: The Wildcats have been a machine in recent seasons under coach Tommy Lloyd, including a 36-3 run last season that ended with the program’s first Final Four appearance since 2001. In Tucson, Momcilovic would have the chance to join a squad that’s already added the impressive likes of North Carolina transfer Derek Dixon, Washington transfer JJ Mandaquit and five-star incoming freshman Caleb Holt. If Momcilovic’s goal is to improve his NBA draft stock while playing for a Final Four or even national title contender, Arizona’s probably the best option of the three schools he’s considering.

Why it doesn’t: There aren’t a whole lot of basketball reasons that would work against a Momcilovic commitment, but there are other obstacles Arizona faces. The Wildcats entered the race for his services relatively late and aren’t believed to have the same kind of money to offer him that Kentucky and Louisville do.

Portal prediction: Where will Milan Momcilovic go?

Prediction: Kentucky

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Milan Momcilovic transfer options: Kentucky, Louisville, Arizona in mix

The New York Knicks are partying like it’s 1999 after reaching the NBA Finals for the first time in 27 years, but it is coming at a price.

“New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson has suffered a broken right pinky finger and there is no timetable on his return, sources tell ESPN,” ESPN insider Shams Charania tweeted.

The news comes three days after the Knicks’ Game 4 victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers, so it is unclear as to whether Robinson suffered the injury during the contest or whether it happened after the fact.

Robinson has been a key part for the Knicks during their playoff run. He has appeared in 13 of the team’s 14 games, averaging 5.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game as the Knicks’ top frontcourt player off the bench.

The Knicks still have some time before the NBA Finals, so they could work out some kind of solution to try and get Robinson ready to face off against the Oklahoma City Thunder or San Antonio Spurs.

If Robinson were to miss out on playing in the Finals, it would likely mean more minutes for Karl-Anthony Towns, while Ariel Hukporti could come off the bench in his place. Whether they play the Thunder or Spurs, they will have to face off against an elite big man in Chet Holmgren or Victor Wembanyama, so not having Robinson would be a massive blow to the Knicks’ chances.

P&T community, what do you make of Robinson’s injury? Chime off in the comments section below.

Flopping and falling. That has somehow become one of the primary conversations around the NBA during this postseason, which in and of itself is pretty embarrassing for the league. Then again, when you’re on the biggest stage and viewers are constantly watching players embellish contact and hit the floor trying to sell a whistle, people are going to notice. They’re going to talk about it. They’re going to analyze it. And now they are.

Tom Haberstroh of Yahoo Sports recently published an article in which he studied five players during this postseason, watching every shot attempt, both fouled and non-fouled, and tracking how often each player ended up on the hardwood.

The goal was simple. Find the data. See how often these guys actually fall. To the surprise of absolutely no one, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the pack when it came to ending up on the floor during shot attempts.

The question becomes, how often does this happen with the Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker?

Using the same methodology, and keeping it to this postseason as the sample size (because I definitely didn’t have time to go back through all 1,198 of Booker’s shot attempts this season), I figured it was a worthwhile thought exercise. So I spent a couple of days digging through the footage, watching shot after shot from Booker. All 70 of them in the First Round. That includes 63 official field goal attempts and seven additional shots that don’t count as FGA because they came on fouls and didn’t turn into an and-1.

I’ll start with this. You have to remember the Suns played the Oklahoma City Thunder, and there are only four games of data here. So while Tom Haberstroh had a much larger sample size to work with, going through 1,152 shots from five different players after the Western Conference Finals, Booker gave us 70 total attempts. That means every time he hit the floor, he carried more weight simply because the sample size was smaller.

That said, Phoenix faced Oklahoma City, a team well known at this point for its physicality and constant contact. And before I even get to the results, one quick observation.

Devin Booker has a beautiful jump shot. Sure, from beyond the arc it doesn’t always fall as often as we’d all like. And his 46/25/79 splits this postseason were certainly underwhelming. Still, when you’re sitting there watching shot after shot after shot, you really come to appreciate how clean the mechanics are. It’s smooth. It’s balanced. It’s just a damn pretty jumper.

So what did the numbers say?

Your initial reaction is probably to jump straight to the final number, 10%, and compare it to everyone else. On the surface, that places Devin Booker near the top of the list. Only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at 17.4% and James Harden at 11.9% fell more on total shot attempts. One out of every 10 shots, you’ll Booker on the floor. Dig a little deeper, and the context matters. That number is driven heavily by Booker’s 30% fall rate on shots where he was actually fouled. That inflates the overall percentage. When you isolate non-fouled attempts, his fall rate drops to 6.7%, which is below everyone on Haberstroh’s list not named Wemby.

My biggest takeaway after watching all of Booker’s postseason attempts was how well he stays on his feet through contact. Does he seek contact to draw fouls? Absolutely. Does he try to manipulate officiating the same way plenty of stars around the league do? Of course. Unfortunately, that’s part of the NBA.

What stood out is that he doesn’t take it to a point where he’s constantly ending up on the floor trying to sell every whistle. Those three falls on 10 fouled shot attempts were legitimate. He wasn’t kicking his legs out, he wasn’t collapsing into a heap after release, he wasn’t hunting for dramatic reactions. He got hit. The contact knocked him down.

The more impressive number to me is what happened on the other 60 attempts. That’s the larger sample in this exercise, and based on the data available, Booker did a really strong job staying balanced, absorbing contact, and getting back on defense without falling to the hardwood. There were numerous occasions where, had it been SGA, he would’ve been on the floor. But Booker fought to keep the balance rather than succumb to it.

Now, don’t get me wrong, this isn’t to say that Devin Booker isn’t an actor at times. He’s not somebody who consistently ends up sprawled on the floor, but you’ll definitely catch him doing his fair share of flailing his arms or looking straight at the officials, wondering why contact on him didn’t get a whistle. Watching the footage, that happened. A lot. Perhaps I should do a flail rate percentage.

A 10% total fall rate, even with the smaller sample size, is still higher on the list than you’d probably want it to be. It also fortifies what our eyes tell us night in and night out. Devin Booker is an elite shot maker (inside the arc). He’ll seek contact and try to sell calls as every star does, but he’s never really been a consistently effective manipulator of officials.

Devin Booker definitely plays the foul-drawing game because every star in the league does at this point. That’s part of the modern NBA ecosystem, whether we love it or roll our eyes at it. The difference is in how often the theatrics become the story. Watching Booker possession after possession, the overwhelming impression wasn’t somebody trying to manufacture contact and live on the floor. It was a player trying to create clean looks, absorb physicality, and keep moving. 

He’ll lobby officials. He’ll throw his arms up. He’ll give you the occasional stare that says, “Really?” We’ve all seen it. Still, compared to some of the postseason’s most discussed whistle hunters, Booker’s game still feels rooted far more in shot-making than in selling the performance around it.