Knicks Forward Questionable for Game 3 vs 76ers

The New York Knicks' interior picture could look a little different in Game 3 against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Mar 12, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks forward Precious Achiuwa (5) looks t the / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Knicks may have to paint a new picture in the interior for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Philadelphia 76ers.

New York's injury report for Game 3 has a new addition next to the permanent fixture of Julius Randle, as Mitchell Robinson is listed as questionable for the opening of the Wells Fargo Center portion of the series on Thursday night (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG/TNT). Robinson is said to be dealing with "injury management" of his left ankle, recalling the ailment that ate away at most of his 2023-24 regular seaosn.

Though he has ceded the starting center job to Isaiah Hartenstein, Robinson has been one of the big reasons why the Knicks own a 2-0 series lead heading into Thursday night's tilt. Of note, the longest-tenured Knick had 12 rebounds and four blocks in relief on Saturday night, which saw New York take a 111-104 victory at Madison Square Garden.

Mar 10, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks forward Precious Achiuwa (5) fights for a / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

If Robinson is unavailable on Thursday ... and the Knicks do have a little wiggle room thanks to the 2-0 lead ... there's no shortage of help on the visitors' bench, as a long-awaited, and frankly deserved, opportunity could come for Precious Achiuwa.

While Hartenstein has been the interior headliner in Robinson's absence, Achiuwa came up equally big as the Knicks overcame several medical ailments to clinch the Eastern Conference's second seed. It took a little while for Achiuwa to establish a role for himself in the rotation after coming over from Toronto with OG Anunoby but he later became a interior stalwart playing direct roles in New York victories.

But head coach Tom Thibodeau had shown a devout loyalty to an eight-man set so far this postseason, one that has eschewed Achiuwa entirely over the first two games. New York does have plenty of height among its three reserves (including Robinson and Bojan Bogdanovic) but proof of Achiuwa's impact can't be denied.

Of note, the Knicks were 10-4 when Achiuwa hauled in at least 10 rebounds and a perfect 14-0 when he had a plus/minus of at least 10 in the black.

In a report from Peter Botte of the New York Post, Thibodeau implied that Achiuwa's absence was nothing personal but rather a means of keeping things relatively knit in the thick of the postseason.

“It’s the playoffs, and rotations get tight," Thibodeau said. "But you need everyone, you know it can change at any moment."

Mar 12, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks forward Precious Achiuwa (5) dunks the ball / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Has that moment come with Robinson potentially ailing? Only time will tell.

In other medical developments, Sixers star Joel Embiid continues to be listed as questinable while defensive backcourt threat De'Anthony Melton was upgraded to the same designation after missing the first two games of the set with a back injury.

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