Mitchell Robinson dominates after questioning Knicks role
Mitchell Robinson was clear: He’s happy with his role on the Knicks. His tweet Tuesday, responding to a fan asking if he had ever thought of working with Amar’e Stoudemire on his non-existent post game, wasn’t a knock on anyone.
“The way we play is not set for me to do any moves,” the center tweeted in his response to the fan.
When asked about the tweet, Robinson said it was “my business.” Regarding his role with the Knicks, he said: “If I was unhappy, I wouldn’t have [done] what I came out here and did today and last game. I would’ve just chilled out and just [said], ‘Oh well.’ ”
Robinson, indeed, left it all out on the floor Wednesday night, scoring 15 points and grabbing 20 rebounds in the Knicks’ 109-103 loss to Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks. Of the 20 boards, 11 were on the offensive glass. He was the lone Knick with a positive rating (plus-four).
“That was one of the more impressive efforts I’ve seen from an individual on the offensive boards,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “He was relentless.”
Robinson said he still doesn’t feel 100 percent after a sprained right knee cost him eight games. He said he’s working on his stamina and conditioning, though he did play 33 minutes Wednesday after logging 26 minutes Tuesday in a win over the Pistons.
“From the last time we played [the Bucks], I had to come out with a different mindset,” Robinson said, referring to his five-point, nine-rebound effort in a loss to Milwaukee on Oct. 30. “Last time we played them, I almost fouled out and I wasn’t myself. I had to learn from my mistake last game and I brought it to this game.”
As far as working out with Stoudemire, as the fan asked, Robinson seemed ambivalent.
“If he comes to the gym we can work out, yeah,” he said.
Quentin Grimes made his sixth straight start at shooting guard and finished with seven points and five rebounds in 34 minutes. After missing much of the first month of the season due to a left foot injury, Grimes is beginning to hit his stride.
“He’s been really good. Defensively, he’s been terrific,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “I think he’s starting to find his rhythm now offensively. We knew it would take some time. He adds a lot. He guards multiple positions, multiple-effort guy.”
Ryan Arcidiacono (sprained left ankle) was out. … The Bucks were without Khris Middleton (left wrist), who has yet to play this season. He is “close” to making his season debut, Budenholzer said.
Isaiah Hartenstein only played 10 minutes, but Thibodeau said that was because the Knicks wanted to make sure Julius Randle or Robinson was on the floor to defend Antetokounmpo whenever he was out there. … Jalen Brunson turned his right ankle early in the first quarter and went into the locker took to get it taped up before returning late in the quarter. He said afterward that he was fine.
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