As Game 5 hung in the balance, the trailing Miami Heat employed a “Hack-a-Mitch” tactic to try to cut further into the New York Knicks‘ once-mighty 19-point lead.
The Heat targeted Mitchell Robinson, a 52.9% career free-throw shooter.
“I was not offended at all,” Robinson told reporters after the game. “[It’s] Part of basketball.”
Instead of getting offended, Robinson responded to the challenge.
“I’m knocking these down. I’m knocking these down,” Robinson said about what was on his mind when the Heat kept fouling him.
He cooly sank three out of four free throws to a loud ovation from the sold-out Madison Square Garden crowd as Tom Thibodeau pulled him out.
“It felt great,” Robinson said of the crowd’s cheers. “You know, for that moment, for them to believe in me and knock them down for the team and stuff like that, it’s amazing!”
Robinson played a big part in the Knicks’ 112-103 victory that kept their season alive, forcing a Game 6 in Miami on Friday. He’s only shooting 30.4% at the 15-foot line in his first playoff stint. But on Wednesday night, with the Knicks’ season on the line, the 24-year-old center went 4-for-8 at the charity stripes. He finished with eight points, a game-high 11 rebounds, two assists and two steals.
His defensive presence kept the Heat from controlling the boards as they did in Games 3 and 4 in Miami. With Robinson leading the way, the Knicks outrebounded the Heat 50-34.
“That was one of the focus. We watched the film,” Robinson said. “Yeah, learn from our mistakes. And, you know, we did that, and, hey, here we go.”
Knicks’ Game-Turning Point
After trailing by 10 in the opening quarter, the Knicks came swinging with everything they got. They punched back with an 8-0 run to start the second quarter and finally took the lead, 28-26, on a Jalen Brunson jumper with still 9:25 left in the first half.
The turning point for the Knicks is they limited the Heat’s second-chance opportunities after a 13-0 advantage in the first quarter. The Heat only scored eight second-chance points for the rest of the game.
“That was the game came down to,” Robinson said. “They had multiple secondary endpoints, and that really would have kept them in the game. And we eliminated that and, got a stop, and limited them to one shot. And then the game just changed for us.”
The Knicks outrebounded the Heat, 39-19, and outscored them in second-chance opportunities, 12-8, in the next three quarters.
Jalen Brunson Delivers Playoff Game for the Ages
Brunson dropped 38 points, nine rebounds and seven assists against only one turnover in a no-relief job.
“[I] just tried to do everything I could to win,” Brunson said after the game. “We did that, and now it’s on [to] the Game 6.”
Brunson is trying to lead the first Knicks team to battle back from a 1-3 series deficit. The Knicks are 0-14 when trailing 1-3 in a playoff series.
After a quiet four points in the opening quarter, Brunson exploded for 34, including 10 in the fourth quarter as he answered every Heat’s rally.
“It’s special,” Tom Thibodeau said of Brunson’s performance. “We got into a hole early, no panic. We kept going. [The] Bench came in, and [Brunson] played with the bench and did a great job. We got going from there. And then just to have the wherewithal, and they put a lot of heat on him. And he just makes the right play every time.”
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Knicks Center Mitchell Robinson Reacts to Heat’s ‘Hack-a-Mitch’ Tactic