Tom Thibodeau went with a three-man bench Saturday night, and that trio shifted the game in the Knicks’ favor in their series-opening win over the 76ers.
The threesome of Mitchell Robinson, Miles McBride and Bojan Bogdanovic outscored Philly’s bench 26-7 during a first-half turnaround — and 42-7 for the game — to propel the Knicks to a 111-104 victory at the Garden.
Perhaps more important than the offensive output was Robinson’s stellar work at the defensive end, including several of those minutes guarding reigning MVP Joel Embiid.
The former starting center received multiple standing ovations from the MSG crowd, including earning a jump ball with a tie-up of Embiid late in the fourth quarter.
The 40-percent free-throw shooter drew yet another loud roar when he sank a pair from the stripe with 37.1 seconds remaining.
Robinson, who had averaged 15.5 minutes in 10 late-season appearances following December ankle surgery, played 14 consecutive minutes off the bench, bridging the first two quarters and then the entirety of the final period.
The 7-footer finished with eight points, 12 rebounds (seven offensive), a plus-20 rating and four blocked shots in 30 minutes.
It was his most playing time since he logged 32 minutes on Dec.1.
Robinson threw down a key dunk and registered two blocks in the first half, and departed to a standing ovation when starter Isaiah Hartenstein replaced him with about two minutes left in the half,
In addition to Robinson’s strong impact, McBride netted 16 of his 21 points in the first half, while Bogdanovic registered eight of his 23 in his Knicks playoff debut.
The duo combined for six 3-pointers in the half — and were 8-for-13 for the game from deep — as the Knicks won the second 33-12 to turn a 13-point first-quarter hole into a 12-point halftime lead.
Still, Embiid came back out to start the third after limping to the locker-room on his surgically repaired knee late just before halftime.
The Sixers rocked the Knicks’ starting five with a 32-14 start to the third to retake the lead, before Robinson and then McBride and Bogdanovic returned to the floor with around three minutes left and the Knicks trailing by six.
Bogdanovic nailed another trey for an 82-82 tie barely one minute into the fourth, Robinson managed a tip-in and McBride drove to the hoop for a two-point Knicks lead with under eight minutes to play.
McBride also swished a straightaway-3 — his fifth of the night — for a 91-86 advantage advantage the Knicks nursed past the midpoint of the quarter.
