Knicks Dealt Major Injury Blow Before NBA Finals
The New York Knicks are preparing for their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999, but new injury news has created immediate concern ahead of the series.
The team returned to practice on Thursday following a dominant Eastern Conference finals sweep, with Game 1 of the NBA Finals set to begin on June 3 against either the Oklahoma City Thunder or the San Antonio Spurs.
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, however, the Knicks might be shorthanded in their frontcourt to start the finals and for an uncertain amount of time.
Charania reported around midnight on Thursday that Knicks center Mitchell Robinson has suffered a broken pinky finger on his right shooting hand, adding there's no timetable for his return.
The timing of the injury adds uncertainty to New York's big-man rotation as the team prepares for its first finals in nearly three decades.
Robinson has played a key role throughout the postseason, providing size, rebounding, and rim protection off the bench on limited playing time.
He delivered eight points and 10 rebounds in the series-clinching win over Cleveland, his first game of the Eastern Conference Finals, adding to a postseason in which he's averaged 5.3 points and 5.5 rebounds.
Without Robinson, New York would rely more heavily on starting center Karl-Anthony Towns and second-year big man Ariel Hukporti. Outside of those options, the Knicks would need to use power forward Jeremy Sochan on spot minutes as the team's center.
New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson has suffered a broken right pinky finger and there is no timetable on his return, sources tell ESPN.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 28, 2026
Right after clinching the finals, Knicks head coach Mike Brown praised Robinson's value to the team, emphasizing his importance in the minutes he plays off the bench.
"Mitch can start for any team in the league-any team," Brown said. "And if he started, he might be first team all-defense and some other things, who knows? But this does not work if Mitch does not allow us to do that. If he doesn't sacrifice himself and allows us to do that, because you're talking about a starting center that you throw in the game maybe for 30 seconds sometimes, or two minutes, whatever it is, you pull them right back out. So it starts and ends with him, and him sacrificing himself for the team."
For now, the Knicks will wait for the winner of Game 7 between the Thunder and the Spurs, scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, and to know more about Robinson's status for the finals.
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This story was originally published May 29, 2026 at 3:57 AM.