The Philadelphia 76ers-New York Knicks first-round series is reminiscent of an old-school physical playstyle. The Knicks came swinging from the jump. Joel Embiid seemed to be their main target, as Knicks big man Mitchell Robinson hounded the Cameroonian from the jump ball. Embiid foiled Robinson’s plans with a 50-point piece in the game. However, it wasn’t without its share of drama on the court. While the 76ers celebrated their first post-season win, Jalen Brunson talked about the “foul play” by the Philadelphia side.
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The entire fiasco began late in the first quarter of Game 3. With 4:35 left on the clock, Joel Embiid was sent to the ground by a drive from OG Anunoby. The 76ers center retaliated by pulling down Robinson when his Knicks counterpart went to finish the bucket, a move for which Embiid got booked with a flagrant 1 call. But Embiid’s actions seemed to have caused far-reaching consequences, as Robinson soon left the game with a supposed sprained ankle.
After the game, the Knicks superstar, Jalen Brunson, was asked about Embiid’s reckless action. While admittingly being “frustrated” with the situation, he didn’t see why the incident should get his team down,
“Having his injury come up again, it’s obviously sad. But I think the most important part of what happens is, going forward, how can we stick together? It can’t be a pity party for anyone, no matter what’s going on, because no one’s going to care.”
From the looks of it, the Knicks aren’t getting themselves down over Robinson’s injury. The team has surely gotten used to his absence, as their star center was sidelined for the majority (51 games) of this season due to an ankle injury. Knicks Coach Tom Thibodeau will surely make adjustments before their upcoming contest, with Isaiah Hartenstein emerging as the front-runner to take Robinson’s starting spot. Knicks wingman Donte DiVincenzo highlighted this in his recent statement.
Donte DiVincenzo and the Knicks are ready with “the next man up”
The New York Knicks lead the Philadelphia 76ers 2-1 in their ongoing series. With Game 4 scheduled to kick off in a few hours, fans wonder how the Knicks will fare without Robinson, a key team member.
However, in line with Brunson’s statements, Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo doesn’t think Robinson’s injury is a cause for serious concern,
“I expect Mitch to play. But if he doesn’t, it’s been like that all year… So, you know, it’s the next-man-up mentality, and we’ve earned the two seed with Mitch missing 50-plus games. So I expect him to play. I hope he plays and if he doesn’t, we know the next man up.”
In Robinson’s absence, Coach Thibodeau has run different lineups, with younger players like OG Anunoby, Hartenstein, and Jericho Sims all getting a chance to play big minutes for the Big Apple’s basketball team. The added experience will surely come in handy, as HC Thibodeau can now use an assortment of big-bodied players to slow down Embiid during Sunday’s upcoming contest. Regardless of who it might be, the Knicks will need one of their big men to step up, because Joel Embiid looks lethal.
