New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson suffered a fracture of his fifth metacarpal in his right hand and recently underwent surgery, casting uncertainty over his availability for Game 1 of the NBA Finals. The fracture affects the bone that connects the wrist to the pinky finger on his shooting hand.

It remains unclear how or when Robinson sustained the injury. Head coach Mike Brown said Robinson did not break his finger during Monday’s conference-clinching victory in Cleveland or in a subsequent practice. The Knicks organization has declined to provide further details about the fracture, including its cause.

Robinson did not participate in practice on Friday. “For me, I’m always going with whoever is available today. And [Robinson] didn’t practice today. So we’re getting whoever we need ready to go. I don’t want to know, just let me know if he can play and when he can play. Just like we normally would, we’re getting everyone else ready to go,” Brown said.

There is hope Robinson will be able to play in Game 1, though his status remains uncertain. The Knicks have nine days off before the start of the Finals, providing time for potential recovery. If he returns, Robinson is expected to wear protective gear over the surgically repaired area.

Teammate OG Anunoby acknowledged Robinson’s importance to the team. “Mitch is very important to us. Amazing player. It’s unfortunate what happened, but I’m sure — just take it day by day now.”

Karl-Anthony Towns emphasized the team’s readiness regardless of Robinson’s status. “We have to prepare. And we’re preparing every single day for whatever the situation may be, and we’re ready. We have a lot of days off — we’ve been fortunate, it’s a fortunate thing that it happens when we have a lot of time or we can figure out a lot of the puzzle. But, you know, we don’t know what the picture is yet [with Robinson] until we get to Game 1.”