{"id":848083,"date":"2026-06-06T08:28:19","date_gmt":"2026-06-06T08:28:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/848083\/"},"modified":"2026-06-06T08:28:19","modified_gmt":"2026-06-06T08:28:19","slug":"mitchell-robinsonsdefense-makes-difference-for-knicks-in-nba-finals-game-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/848083\/","title":{"rendered":"Mitchell Robinson’sdefense makes difference for Knicks in NBA Finals Game 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

SAN ANTONIO \u2014 This is why.<\/p>\n

This is why there was so much attention around Mitchell Robinson and his injury. <\/p>\n

So much concern that he might be compromised. So much emphasis throughout the year on keeping him healthy.<\/p>\n

It was the matchup \u2014 and perhaps the moment \u2014 everyone knew he would be needed for.<\/p>\n

Jalen Brunson\u2019s free throw gave the Knicks a one-point lead, and the Spurs called timeout with 7.5 seconds left.<\/p>\n

It was obvious who would take the last shot: Victor Wembanyama. And it was obvious who the Knicks would want contesting that shot: Robinson.<\/p>\n

\"MitchellMitchell Robinson blocks Stephon Castle\u2019s shot during the second half of the
Knicks\u2019 105-104 win over the Spurs in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on June 5,
2026 in San Antonio. Jason Szenes for New York Post<\/p>\n

De\u2019Aron Fox got the inbounds pass. Wembanyama set a screen for him, and Fox passed it back. Wembanyama rose up for a 20-footer.<\/p>\n

\"MitchellMitchell Robinson and the Knicks celebrate their Game 2 win. Jason Szenes for The New York Post<\/p>\n

But Robinson contested the shot well, forcing the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama to fade away. It hit off the side rim, securing the Knicks\u2019 105-104 Game 2 win over the Spurs<\/a> on Friday night at the Frost Bank Center for take a 2-0 lead in the Finals.<\/p>\n

The possession prior, with the game tied, Wembanyama missed as well. And it was Robinson defending him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWemby is iconic,\u201d coach Mike Brown said. \u201cThere is nobody like him. He can score from all three levels. He wants the ball. Two big possessions at the end of the game, we put Mitch on him. What I\u2019m proud about more than anything else, Mitch defended him the right way. Wemby is iconic. If he makes a shot, he makes a shot. You\u2019re not blocking his shot. You make him work, you lead with your chest. You show your hands and you embrace those details while trying to guard him and then box out.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\u201cIt started with Mitch and it ended with the other four guys boxing out. So just a heck of a job by Mitch guarding the most iconic player in the world on two possessions to possibly win the game. Phenomenal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Robinson had surgery to repair a broken fifth metacarpal he sustained between the conference finals and the NBA Finals. There was uncertainty whether he\u2019d be able to play, and even if he did, how effective he could be.<\/p>\n

On the two biggest defensive possessions of the game, he was the difference-maker.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know we needed stops and I had picked up a few fouls on him,\u201d Robinson said. \u201cI think, what, three, like early on? So in my mind, I was just like, defend without fouling. So that was kind of like how it went. Just great contest, and just kind of how it went.\u201d<\/p>\n

Robinson is the longest-tenured Knick. He was with the team at its rock bottom. He was part of its rise.<\/p>\n

And now on the biggest stage, he made a game-sealing impact.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was crazy,\u201d Robinson said. \u201cBeen here for eight years, now here we are in the Finals. I can truly say I done seen it all. It\u2019s wild.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"SAN ANTONIO \u2014 This is why. This is why there was so much attention around Mitchell Robinson and…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":848084,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[10],"tags":[28461,1260,3578,3579,304733,3122,3138,62,67,132,68],"class_list":["post-848083","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports","tag-mitchell-robinson","tag-nba","tag-nba-finals","tag-nba-playoffs","tag-nba-playoffs-2026","tag-new-york-knicks","tag-san-antonio-spurs","tag-sports","tag-united-states","tag-unitedstates","tag-us"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116702224721414477","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/848083","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=848083"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/848083\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/848084"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=848083"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=848083"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=848083"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}