NBA Notes: Knicks, Mitchell Robinson, Blazers, Cavs

Knicks

New coach Mike Brown shook up his starting lineup for the Knicks’ preseason opener, opting to pair Mitchell Robinson with Karl-Anthony Towns, as relayed by Stefan Bondy of The New York Post.

The decision, which gained steam during training camp, worked well out of the gate.

Robinson pulled down a game-high 16 rebounds in just 18 minutes of action, helping New York take a double-digit lead at halftime and cruise to a 99-84 win over the 76ers.

“He was phenomenal,” Brown said. “Played 18 minutes, had 16 rebounds — 11 of them defensively — but more importantly for a big, he had three deflections.

“So Mitch, good job. I’ll get a plaque for you, Mitch. He was the player of the game for us.”

Brown noted the lineup isn’t set in stone, but with Josh Hart day-to-day due to lower back soreness after a hard fall, Robinson is in line to keep his starting role for Saturday’s matchup with the Sixers in Abu Dhabi.

Trail Blazers

Portland has officially signed rookie forward Andrew Carr, the team announced. The deal is expected to be a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contract.

Carr will likely be waived before the regular season and then join the Rip City Remix, Portland’s G League affiliate, where he can earn up to an $85,300 bonus if he sticks for 60 days.

The 6-foot-9 forward wrapped up a five-year college career that included stints at Delaware, Wake Forest and Kentucky. He averaged 10.3 points and 4.7 rebounds last season with the Wildcats. Portland’s preseason roster is now full.

Cavaliers

Oddsmakers are weighing in on the Cavaliers’ upcoming season. After winning 64 games last year, Cleveland’s projected win total is set at 56.5, per BetMGM and BetOnline.

It’s a fair number. The Cavs added Lonzo Ball, Larry Nance Jr., Tyrese Proctor and Thomas Bryant, but also lost Ty Jerome, Isaac Okoro, Javonte Green, Chuma Okeke and Tristan Thompson.

The number suggests expectations remain high but acknowledges the challenges of repeating last season’s torrid regular-season pace. Over or under? That’s the fun part.

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