First there was "Hack-a-Shaq" and now there's "Hack-a-Mitch," the strategy to put an opposing, poor free-throw shooting center at the foul line to regain possession. The New York Knicks have been on the wrong side of the strategy over the NBA playoffs, with the Detroit Pistons intentionally fouling Knicks center Mitchell Robinson in the first round and the Boston Celtics doing the same in the second round.
The Celtics started fouling Robinson early in Game 3 at Madison Square Garden Saturday, but the Knicks' crowd did their part to support their guy. As he stepped to the line early in the second quarter, the MSG crowd got on their feet for a standing ovation before quieting down for the foul shots.
