Knicks’ Mitchell Robinson uncertain for Game 4 vs. 76ers with ankle injury

PHILADELPHIA — Knicks center Mitchell Robinson, who sprained his surgically-repaired left ankle in Thursday’s Game 3 loss to the 76ers, did not participate in practice on Saturday.

Head coach Tom Thibodeau is uncertain about Robinson’s status for Game 4 on Sunday afternoon and isn’t taking an optimistic approach to the big man’s availability.

“No, just reality,” Thibodeau said. “Warm up tomorrow and see where he is.”

Robinson was on the receiving end of a number of questionable plays made by Sixers star center Joel Embiid, who used his 7-foot, 300-pound frame to impose his will in a 50-point performance and a 125-114 victory in Game 3.

Officials assessed Embiid a flagrant foul penalty one for grabbing and pulling Robinson’s leg while he attempted to dunk the ball in the first half of Game 2.

He also kicked Robinson in the groin on a step-back jump shot and fell on Robinson’s leg in the first half.

The Knicks ruled Robinson out with a sprained left ankle at halftime, and he left the Wells Fargo Center in a walking boot after the game.

Not ideal with an early tipoff for Game 4 at 1 p.m. on Sunday — though Donte DiVincenzo thinks Robinson will play.

“You’re talking like he’s done. That’s not our mindset, that’s not his mindset,” DiVincenzo said after Knicks practice on Saturday. “So it’s unfortunate that he went down. But he’s doing everything possible and everybody expects him to play and that’s our mindset. Our mindset isn’t to feel bad for him because, you know, we’re not thinking he’s out and he’s not thinking he’s out. That’s kind of our mindset.

“First and foremost, I hope we have Mitch. I expect Mitch to play.”

It’s also a tough call when you weigh the long-term risk of re-injuring a fragile ankle against the potential impact Robinson can have in Game 4.

Robinson missed three-and-a-half months of action after suffering a stress fracture in his left ankle in a Dec. 8 loss to the Boston Celtics.

After the painstaking process of working his way back to the floor, the injuries sustained in Game 3 could sideline the spry big man once again.

“Of course, you want everyone to be healthy. And him fighting back, just having his injury come up again, it’s obviously sad,” Jalen Brunson said after practice. “But I think the most important part of what happens is going forward [is] how can we stick together? It can’t be a pity party for anyone, no matter what’s going on, because no one’s going to care. How are you going to respond? How are we going to move on? How are we going to be better?”

If Robinson can’t go, there will be more pressure on Isaiah Hartenstein to stay out of foul trouble while guarding Embiid, who shot 21 free throws in Game 3 and made 19. Precious Achiuwa played 10 second-half minutes in Robinson’s absence in Game 3 and will be next up in the rotation in Game 4. Jericho Sims could see minutes, too, if both Hartenstein and Achiuwa get into foul trouble.

Achiuwa picked up three fouls in his 10 minutes, and Hartenstein finished with five, playing virtually the entire game in foul trouble.

“If [Robinson] doesn’t [play], it’s been like that all year. You have Precious, you have Jericho, those guys have been ready all season long,” said DiVincenzo. “So, you know, it’s the next man up mentality, and we’ve earned the two seed with Mitch missing 50-plus games. So I expect him to play. I hope he plays and if he doesn’t, we know the next man up.”

The Knicks went 19-12 in games Robinson played this season and went 31-20 in games he missed.

Robinson averaged 5.6 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in the regular season and had seven rebounds in 12 minutes prior to his Game 3 injury. He had eight points, 12 rebounds and four blocks in 30 minutes off the bench in the Knicks’ Game 1 victory.