Has anyone ever told you that basketball is a make-or-miss sport? That the NBA or WNBA are make-or-miss leagues?
Mitchell Robinson has been living those truths throughout the 2026 NBA Playoffs. The longest-tenured Knick has been delivering his signature impact as a rebounder, rim-runner, and rim protector. But only when he's had the chance. And teams have been unafraid to take those chances away from him with intentional fouls.
Robinson just proved in New York's Game 3 win over the Philadelphia 76ers that, even if only sometimes, he can punish opponents for feeding him free throws. His 4-8 performance from the charity stripe on Friday allowed him to play 19 total minutes, his most thus far in these playoffs.
Robinson saves Knicks from Game 3 foul trouble with...free throws
The Knicks have been setting new records, on what feels like a nightly basis, with their high levels of play against both the Atlanta Hawks and Philadelphia 76ers.
The team's offense is firing on all of the cylinders that most national pundits spent the season declaring the team lacked. The team's defense, which has been elite since the start of February, is continuing that trend despite the postseason's higher stakes.
Going into Game 3, it was happening despite Robinson averaging 14.25 minutes per game. His 19 minutes of action on Friday pulled his playoff average up to around 14.75, but that's still much lower than his regular season average of 19.6 minutes.
Knicks' load management investments are paying off, to a degree
The Knicks held Robinson out of back-to-backs throughout the year in hopes that he'd be fully healthy for the postseason. And aside from missing Game 2 against Philadelphia with an illness, which coincided with Joel Embiid's one-game absence, he's been available to Mike Brown and his staff every night.
The plan worked. But, regardless, Robinson's inaccuracy from the free throw line has kept him from fully impacting games to his potential. And against better teams, the Knicks are going to need their defensive anchor.
Robinson's 5-13 total from the series against the Hawks is certainly based on a small sample size. But the 38.4% conversion rate is even lower than his 40.8% mark from the regular season (which was a career low).
His 0-4 night in Game 1 against the Sixers brought that to 5-17 (29.4%). And it left some fans wondering just how much trust Brown had left in the center.
But when Karl-Anthony Towns got into early foul trouble in Game 3, Robinson was ready. The center, who was shooting "too many" free throws at 9:30 a.m. per SNY, delivered. Brown wound up able to trust him with relatively extended run.
Knicks have another level to unlock if Robinson can stay (kind of) accurate
Whether it was out of desperation or something else, the Knicks learned something valuable. Robinson might just have to continue to hit free throws for Brown to feel comfortable fully unleashing him.
The Knicks' coach has been open about trusting Josh Hart with the starters in scenarios where opponents force Robinson out of the game. But with a 3-0 series lead, New York also needs to think ahead to their potential next opponent.
Whether it's been because of injuries or a lack of depth, neither the Hawks' nor 76ers' frontcourt has given the Knicks much of a test. But the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons can both present challenges that New York's earlier opponents can, or could, not. Robinson, however, can be key to solving them.
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