Another fun win. Another MONSTER game by Mitchell Robinson, who is now becoming a name that the casual fan is hearing about. In the schoolyards of NY, everyone is going to be trying to block everyone else’s shot to be like Mitchell Robinson.
The Knicks have now won 3 out of 4 — and after 3/4 of a season — 60 games — these young Knicks are finally arriving, as a team.
The Knicks fell down by a lot early in the first, but then came right back to be within 6 at the half, fell behind a bit more in the 3rd, but then came on strong in the 4th — led by Robinson, Allonzo Trier, Emmanuel Mudiay, and new reserves John Jenkins and Henry Ellenson — Mr Wisconsin Basketball.
For most of the year, Robinson has been getting 18 min a game, increased recently to 24 minutes, and in the last game, over 30 minutes. Before the game, Mitchell Robinson was asked how many blocks per game he could average if he got starter’s minutes. He said 6.
Knicks rookie Mitchell Robinson says he could get six blocks per game with more minutes.
Right now he’s at 2.2 BLK in 18 MPG 😳
(via @SNYtv)pic.twitter.com/wRwBSz4Roc
— Bleacher Report NBA (@BR_NBA) February 26, 2019
And so in this game Robinson got 33 minutes and had 6 blocks. Funny.
The NBA has become all about the 3-pt shot — and now there is a new Secret Weapon against the 3 — Mitchell Robinson. Robinson blocks shots on the perimeter more than any player ever.
Mitchell Robinson was dominant in the @nyknicks win over the Magic! 😤
📊: 17 PTS | 14 REB | 6 BLK | 3 STL#NewYorkForever pic.twitter.com/RPiukwNvuA
— NBA TV (@NBATV) February 27, 2019
Robinson finished with 17 points (6-9), 14 rebounds, 6 blocked shots. His rebounding has risen to a new level over the last month, and his free throw shooting is much improved. “The intangibles that he brought Mike, when guys got inside, looking at him, had to get the ball back outside,” said Clyde Frazier at game’s end.
Mitchell Robinson blocked Aaron Gordon twice in one possession 👀 pic.twitter.com/rziI8tK3Pv
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 27, 2019
All the Young Knick Dudes Carried the News
Robinson wasn’t the only young Knick to play great — they all did (except Kevin Knox — who seemed to play well but shot poorly, finishing 3-16 for 8 points). Allonzo Trier was doing his hot-knife-thru-butter scoring in the 4th — SO MUCH FUN TO WATCH — finished with 18 points on 4-5 (9-10 from free throw line).
That's just mean… pic.twitter.com/aHMSKLpIQq
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) February 27, 2019
Emmanuel Mudiay led the Knicks down the stretch in this one. “He’s become the leader of the Knicks — in the lockerroom and on the court”, said Wally Szczerbiak in the post game analysis.
Mudiay (19 pts) aggressively drove to the basket in the 4th — he has become SO TOUGH at finishing at the rim, the opposite of what he was a little less than a year ago when he came to the Knicks. In a key play with 3 minutes left and the game tied 100-100, Mudiay drove to the basket and got SLAMMED by Nikola Vucovec — but no foul was called; instead Robinson got the rebound and was fouled by Vucovec which they did call. Robinson hit the free throws to give the Knicks the lead.
Mudiay still makes some mistakes — for example with the Knicks up 104-100 and less than 2 minutes left, Walt Frazier said, “I’d like to see the Knicks move the ball instead of dribbling it like Mudiay is doing.”
Jenkins showed he can SHOOT and handle the ball; good passer too. Henry Ellenson finished with 13 pts (5-11, 3-6 from 3) 9 reounds 5 assists, 2 steals.
The Knicks starters fell way behind in the 1st quarter, and with the reserves playing so well in the 4th — the starters didn’t get many minutes. Dennis Smith Jr had 9 pts (3-10), Damyean Dotson had 6 pts (2-7), Noah Vonleh had 7 pts (3-5), and Lance Thomas had 3 pts in 15 minutes. Luke Kornet got 4 minutes in the 4th.
Mario Hezonja and Frank Ntilikina are still out, injured.
For Orlando
For Orlando, Aaron Gordon was a tough cover for Knox and the Knicks. Gordon had 26 pts (8-16), Jonathan Isaac had 16 pts (6-12), Nikola Vucevic had 26 pts (12-19), D.J. Augustin had 13 pts (5-10), and Evan Fournier had 15 pts. In the first quarter, Isaac tried a slam but got blocked from behind by Dennis Smith Jr. Said Walt Frazier, “When he (Isaac) used the tomahawk (dunk) he allowed Smith to come from behind and block it. He should have used the Statue of Liberty dunk.”
In an Elevator in Portland
Enes Kanter isn’t on the Knicks anymore — playing well in Portland. But during the game this video surfaced, of the whole Portland Trailblazer team getting stuck on an elevator:
Stuck in the elevator with the squad 🤦🏻♂️ 😂 @trailblazers pic.twitter.com/2Yu5zrdFfH
— Enes Kanter (@Enes_Kanter) February 26, 2019
The boxscore:
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