The Knicks came back to take down the Memphis Grizzlies in a thrilling win on the road on Friday night, punctuated by OG Anunoby's game-winner.
Anunoby's shot was just a footnote in a game that featured many storylines, including the return of center Mitchell Robinson and the continued clutch play by Jalen Brunson.
Coach Tom Thibodeau spoke after the win to talk about Robinson's first game back and what it took to make the right plays in the final moments of Friday.
Trust in Mitchell Robinson remains
After about 10 months, Robinson returned to the Knicks lineup. While he didn't start, he came off the bench and gave New York some good minutes, 12 to be exact.
In that time, Robinson scored six points on 3-of-4 shooting -- including a massive dunk -- five rebounds and one assist. He was a team-high plus-11 while on the court and was essential to the Knicks' comeback.
"Getting Mitch back was a big plus for us. Mitch getting in there, in I think 12 minutes five rebounds - great, great," Thibodeau said. "It gives us a different element to our team. It makes us a lot bigger."
Despite not being on the court, Thibodeau had Robinson stay on the floor in the final few plays. It was a risky move since Robinson hadn't played a game since last spring and could have been a liability on defense. But the longtime Knicks coach was confident the big man gave the team a better chance to win being on the floor.
“He trusts me, you know? Missing 10 months and to put me in a big spot, position right there to get a stop or whatever, means a lot,” Robinson said of Thibodeau. “Shows that he trusts me a lot. Still rocks with me.”
Robinson was a deterrent in the final play after Ja Morant missed the layup thanks to Mikal Bridges' defense not giving the scorer a better angle to the rim. Robinson boxed out Santi Aidama who tried to tip in the miss, sealing the Knicks' win.