Knicks get a lift from Precious Achiuwa following Isaiah Hartenstein’s injury.
It wasn’t a revenge game for just OG Anunoby, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley.
Another piece of that blockbuster trade broke out in the Knicks’ 126-100 win over the Raptors on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden, the first time the two teams played since the deal.
Knicks center Precious Achiuwa finished with 18 points — by far his season-high with either team — in 25 minutes off the bench along with 11 rebounds and a block.
The 25 minutes were a season-high as well.
He shot a near-perfect 9-of-10 from the floor.
Achiuwa’s emergence was more than a nice footnote — he might now become pivotal.
Starting center Isaiah Hartenstein, who has filled in admirably since Mitchell Robinson has been sidelined with an ankle injury, exited Saturday’s game with a sore ankle in the third quarter and did not return.
“Just playing the game, you know what I mean? I didn’t do anything different,” Achiuwa said afterward. “I approach the game the same way every day, play the same way. The same intensity. Today just happened to be a day where things went my way.”
Achiuwa helped the Knicks own the glass, earning a 61-31 rebounding advantage.
Four of Achiuwa’s rebounds were offensive, where the Knicks had a 15-11 advantage.
His plus-13 matched Hartenstein, meaning the Knicks did not drop off at all with Achiuwa on the floor.
“You just want to build every day. I think he played hard,” Thibodeau said of Achiuwa. “Extended minutes helped him, and I think familiar with the opponent, but each day just get in there and play as hard as you can. When you do that, good things come from that.”
Achiuwa has been more than just a throw-in for the Knicks, playing a valuable role as the team’s backup center.
It’s a position the Knicks have become thin at and which could hardly afford to now lose Hartenstein. Jericho Sims is the only other option there unless Thibodeau opts to play small-ball.
Achiuwa entered Saturday averaging 2.8 points and 3.5 rebounds in 11.7 minutes off the bench since arriving to the Knicks.
His previous scoring high with the team was his seven points in the Knicks’ Jan. 11 loss to the Mavericks.