TORONTO — The Knicks’ long wait for Mitchell Robinson may be over.
The team’s starting center and defensive anchor has been upgraded from out to questionable on the league’s official injury report and could be back in action for the first time since Wednesday night’s game against the Raptors. There is.
Robinson, 25, has missed 50 consecutive games since suffering an ankle injury that required surgery on the same day.
Robinson has been practicing with the Knicks for the past week, and Tom Thibodeau said earlier this week that “Mitchell is doing pretty well” and “he just needs a little more time.”
At the time of the injury, Robinson was leading the NBA in offensive rebounds with 5.3 per game and was averaging a career-high 10.3 on the boards overall.
Isaiah Hartenstein played well in Robinson’s absence, starting 39 games and averaging 8.1 points and 9.9 rebounds per game.
Thibodeau hasn’t committed to a rotation even if Robinson returns, but last week he made Hartenstein the starter and staggered his playing time, potentially allowing the rest of the regular starting unit to get time on the court with Robinson. He suggested that there was.
Hartenstein has also been limited in minutes since the All-Star break as he deals with a lingering Achilles injury, averaging 22.8 minutes per game in his past 15 appearances.
With 11 games remaining in the regular season, the Knicks, who are in fourth place in the Eastern Conference (43-28), remain without Julius Randle (shoulder) and OG Anunoby (elbow).
