At least publicly, Mitchell Robinson isn’t holding a grudge against Joel Embiid.
When the Knicks and the 76ers met in the playoffs two years ago, Embiid’s flagrant foul, in which he grabbed Robinson’s left leg while he was airborne, eventually cut Robinson’s postseason short.
Then-teammate Donte DiVincenzo called it a dirty play.
Asked about it Sunday, Robinson took the high road.
“I don’t [think he’s a dirty player]. I really don’t live in the past,” he said, as the Knicks prepared to host the 76ers for Game 1 of the second-round series. “It is what it is. I just move on.”
Robinson is focused on slowing down the superstar center and helping the Knicks return to the Eastern Conference finals.
He will have a major role, not only defending Embiid, but as one of the key pieces to the Knicks defense overall.
In the opening-round series against the Hawks, the 7-footer was terrific, averaging 6.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and a block in 14 minutes per game.
The Knicks outscored the Hawks by 20.5 points per 100 possessions with Robinson on the floor.
Embiid is coming off a strong series himself, averaging 28 points and nine rebounds after missing the first three games of the playoffs following emergency surgery for appendicitis late in the regular season.
“He’s a great player, and it’s fun playing against him,” Robinson said.
Asked the key to defending Embiid, Robinson said: “Watch out for fouls.”
In Game 6, the Knicks destroyed the Hawks, winning by a franchise playoff-record 51 points.
Robinson wasn’t around for the on-court celebration.
He was ejected in the second quarter after getting into an altercation with Hawks guard Dyson Daniels.
“Two grown men playing competitive basketball, kind of the nature of this game,” Robinson said.
He was also fined $50,000, in part for a social media post in which he mocked Daniels by retweeting a reel of an AI singing rodent that included graphic lyrics.
He received a call from the league office about it.
“Honestly, I forgot,” Robinson said when asked the nature of the conversation. “I wasn’t paying attention.”
Most importantly, Robinson wasn’t suspended for the dustup and will be available for Game 1 against Embiid and the 76ers.
The Knicks are going to need him.
“He can be big. Mitch is unique, so no matter who we play, Mitch is extremely important to what we’re trying to do, the way he offensive rebounds, the way he’s a vertical threat in the pick-and-roll game, the way he protects the rim, his versatility guarding,” coach Mike Brown said. “All that stuff is extremely important for us in this series. We need him to bring it at a high level, as well as everybody else.”
