Mitchell Robinson injury update: Will Knicks star play Game 1 against Spurs?

Mitchell Robinson is in the injury report heading into Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals, and his status is the biggest question hanging over Wednesday night's tip-off. The New York Knicks have officially listed their veteran center as questionable due to a fractured right fifth metacarpal, a broken pinky finger that required surgery last week and has left the basketball world wondering just how much Robinson can offer against the San Antonio Spurs.What makes this complicated is that nobody, not even Robinson's own teammates, can quite pin down how the injury happened. Head coach Mike Brown confirmed it did not occur during a game or practice. Robinson himself stayed silent at NBA Finals Media Day on Tuesday, skipping the media availability that injured players typically attend only when they've been ruled out. The surgery happened after New York's Eastern Conference Finals sweep of Cleveland, and Robinson has spent the days since pushing through individual drills at practice. At Tuesday's session, he arrived with a black bandaid over the finger, then switched to a thin protective sleeve once warmups began. Brown said he is leaving the call entirely to the medical staff.Per ESPN's Shams Charania, Robinson is pushing hard to suit up Wednesday. The Knicks have until approximately 5 p.m. EST to finalize his status, and backup center Ariel Hukporti has already been told to stay ready. "I'm always prepared, I'm always ready," Hukporti said when asked about potentially stepping in.Despite missing Game 2 against Philadelphia in the second round, Robinson has been a reliable rotation piece throughout these playoffs, putting up 5.3 points and 5.5 rebounds in just over 14 minutes a night while shooting a remarkable 73.7 percent from the field. His foul shooting, at 30.2 percent, remains historically poor, and the Cavaliers leaned into that heavily, deliberately fouling him to send the Knicks to the bonus early. Brown used it as a calculated risk.Victor Wembanyama changes everything in this series. The West Finals MVP is as long and disruptive a presence as the league has seen, and Karl-Anthony Towns, New York's starting center, is the kind of player who collects foul trouble against physical bigs. Robinson, at seven feet and built for contact, is exactly the backup body the Knicks would want ready behind Towns when those foul situations arise.He does not need a functioning pinky to set screens or battle for rebounds. What matters is whether he can catch, grip, and absorb the physicality that Wembanyama brings. The medical staff will decide that, and until Robinson speaks, which he has not done since the injury was disclosed, the answer stays uncertain.On Saturday, Robinson posted a brief message to Instagram: "I can't thank you guys enough for the love and support most of you bring especially at a time like this in my life. It makes everything in fighting for 100x easier to deal with."Game 1 tips off Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. EST in San Antonio.