New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson has a broken right pinkie finger and there is no timetable for his return, according to a person familiar with the situation.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Thursday because the team had not announced the injury.
The Knicks are set to play Game 1 of the NBA Finals next Wednesday on the road against either Oklahoma City or San Antonio.
Robinson appeared in 13 of New York’s first 16 games through the first three rounds of the playoffs, including more than 17 minutes off the bench in the Eastern Conference finals-clinching victory at Cleveland. The team returned to practice at home on Thursday.
It was not clear exactly when Robinson was injured, though video shows him grabbing at his right hand and shaking it going back down the court with 5:35 left in the third quarter Monday night after coming down from attempting to rebound a missed shot by teammate Mikal Bridges. He played off and on until 7:47 left in the fourth.
The Knicks are 12-2 in the postseason, with a victory margin of 19.4 points a game, and have won 11 in a row. That’s tied for the third-longest winning streak within one postseason.
The 28-year-old Robinson is averaging 5.3 points and 3.0 rebounds in the playoffs as a big man whose minutes come in a reserve role and who can fill time on the court when Karl-Anthony Towns gets into foul trouble. On the offensive end, Robinson has been the subject of fouling from opponents because of his issues at the free throw line, where he’s 13 of 43 (30.2%).
ESPN first reported Robinson’s broken finger.
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