The 2026 NBA Playoffs are here, and for Knicks fans, one question keeps coming up before a single ball is tipped: What happens when someone starts fouling Mitchell Robinson on purpose? Mike Brown has an answer, and it sounds like he’s not backing down.
According to a report by the New York Post, Brown addressed the Hack-a-Mitch possibility ahead of the Knicks’ first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks. “We’ve talked about it. We have different things in mind that we’ll do,” the Knicks coach said. “A lot of them will come down to time and score and feel. But we understand that’s what teams may want to do, especially if our offense is clicking at that point in time.”
That is about as calm as a coach can sound when discussing a very real problem.
Last year, Robinson shot just 22-of-56 from the free-throw line across 18 playoff games, a 39.3% clip. Boston’s Joe Mazzulla leaned into it heavily in the second round, using intentional fouls to drag Robinson to the line and disrupt New York’s offensive flow.
It did not knock the Knicks out, but it forced Brown to carefully manage Robinson’s minutes in crunch time throughout.
How Has Mitchell Robinson Responded This Season
GettyMitchell Robinson of the Knicks
The regular season looked different. Brown kept Robinson off back-to-backs all year to protect his ankle, and that care paid off. Robinson appeared in 60 games, more than either of the past two seasons, posting 5.7 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in under 20 minutes per night. He is not a high-volume guy, but there is no one else on the bench who does what he does.
Knicks legend Charles Oakley made that point clear on “The Bottom Line Sports Show.” “Mitchell Robinson is the key for them off the bench, whatever they do. He needs to average 25 minutes, 27 minutes, from the first playoff game until the last one because with the offensive rebounds, nobody can block him out. He’s like a Moses Malone. He gives them second shots.”
Robinson has spoken about why the free throws keep missing. His practice workouts are built around what he does in games, layups, hook shots, screens, which means he rarely gets any real shooting repetitions in. Without that muscle memory, the line feels foreign. As a rookie, when he was getting shots up regularly, he shot 60 percent from the stripe.
What This Means for the Knicks vs. Hawks Series
GettyMitchell Robinson #23 of the New York Knicks reacts in the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Madison Square Garden on December 19, 2025 in New York City.
Robinson did miss the Knicks’ final two regular season games with a left ankle issue, which made the pre-playoff week more stressful than it needed to be. He returned to practice and is expected to be available for Game 1, which is the only outcome that would have felt acceptable given how much this team needs him off the bench.
The Hawks may not reach for the intentional foul tactic right away, but if the Knicks start pulling away, that card is sitting right there. Atlanta went 1-2 against New York in the regular season, losing both times by just three points. If Robinson is heading to the line in the fourth quarter and missing, those margins get even tighter.
Brown says he has a plan. The series will start telling us whether he is right.
Knicks’ Mike Brown’s Confidence in Mitchell Robinson is Either Genius or a Playoff Gamble