With the Knicks trying to cling to their dwindling fourth quarter lead and keep their season alive, the Heat began intentionally fouling Mitchell Robinson to put his shaky foul shooting at the free throw line.
Robinson, who was just 7-for-25 from the charity stripe in the postseason before Miami began its “Hack-A-Mitch” strategy in the final six minutes of game five, calmly walked up to the foul line, behind raucous support from the Madison Square Garden crowd, and knocked down four of his six free throw attempts down the stretch to help seal New York’s victory.
The Knicks bench loved it, the crowd erupted, as Robinson helped keep the team’s season afloat after the Heat banked on Robinson sinking it where he is at his weakest.
Instead, Robinson approached the clutch situation with a confidence that wasn’t reflected by his free throw shooting stats.
“I’m knocking these down,” Robinson said when asked what he was thinking as he made his way to the foul line.
It also helped to hear a capacity crowd at MSG getting behind their center when the fate of the season was in his hands.
“It felt great,” Robinson said. “For that moment for them to believe in me, and knocking them down for the team, it’s just amazing.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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