Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Playoffs did not get off to a good start for the New York Knicks. A slow start was semi-expected as New York had been off for nearly a week, while their opponents, the Philadelphia 76ers, played in the NBA Play-In Tournament on Wednesday night.
The 76ers were able to build an early 13-point lead as they ran their entire offense through reigning NBA MVP, Joel Embiid. Embiid scored the first nine points of the game for Philadelphia, including two and-ones.
He was asserting himself throughout the early portion of the game, as the Knicks sent some help at him and his teammates responded. Philadelphia scored 34 points in the first quarter, finding some answers to a usually stifling Knicks defense.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Mitchell Robinson, Joel Embiid, 2024 NBA Playoffs, Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks Updates
But, the entire tone of the game changed once Mitchell Robinson checked in. Like Embiid, Robinson missed a large chunk of the season because of injury. Rounding into shape over the final few regular season games, Game 1 was a prime example of the impact he can have on the game.
Robinson isn’t going to be the focal point of the Knicks’ offensive attack. He doesn’t have the playmaking acumen of Isaiah Hartenstein or much of a scoring impact outside of dunks and putbacks. But, he makes his presence felt on offense with his work on the offensive glass.
Before getting hurt in early December, Robinson was on a record-setting pace for offensive rebounds. In Game 1, he was a terror on the boards, grabbing 12 overall, seven of which were on the offensive glass.
He was routinely keeping possession alive for New York, who didn’t shoot the ball well but overwhelmed Philadelphia with a 55-33 rebounding advantage. Their work on the offensive glass led to 91 shot attempts compared to only 81 for the 76ers.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Mitchell Robinson, Joel Embiid, 2024 NBA Playoffs, Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks Updates
The one thing that sticks out for Robinson on the offensive end was the two clutch free throws he made in the closing moments of the game. The charity stripe has been nightmare fuel for Robinson this season, as he has made only 40.9 percent of his attempts. But his two makes helped the Knicks ice the game.
Defensively, where Robinson is elite, is where his biggest impact game in Game 1. The Knicks were struggling to get stops whenever he wasn’t on the floor, as he effectively shut Embiid down when the two matched up against each other.
As shared by Knicks Muse on X, Embiid shot only 2/11 when matched up against Robinson per NBA tracking stats. In crunch time of the fourth quarter, Embiid was 0/5 from the field, including two misses from 3-point range, with zero rebounds and a -5 plus/minus ratio.
Embiid did tweak his left knee in the second quarter on an impressive dunk, his first since returning to the court two weeks ago. That likely had an impact on his effectiveness in the second half, but credit needs to still be given to Robinson for the job that he did.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Mitchell Robinson, Joel Embiid, 2024 NBA Playoffs, Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks Updates
There aren’t many players more difficult to defend in the NBA than Embiid. He knows how to dupe his opponents into committing fouls so that he can rack up easy points and some rest at the foul line, but Robinson more than held his own.
In 30 minutes, he finished the game with eight points, 12 rebounds, 1 assist, one steal and four blocks. He registered a plus/minus ratio of +20, helping make up for an off game from Hartenstein.
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