Saturday's Manhattan-based showdown between the New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors was dominated by names of former Madison Square Garden residents.
Headlines, of course, centered on former Knicks RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley playing at MSG for the first time since a Dec. 30 trade sent them north to Ontario. But Precious Achiuwa stole the spotlight in a way that allowed those gathered to offer guilt-free thanks to Barrett and Quickley.
The Knicks' yield from the monumental trade has centered on OG Anunoby, whose defensive efforts have proved to be a paradigm shift in both the New York starting five and the broader Eastern Conference playoff picture. But Achiuwa took over Saturday's game and helped the Knicks post a one-sided 126-100 victory against their division rivals, putting in an 18-point, 11-rebound double-double in just under 25 minutes of relief.
Situating himself mostly under the basket, Achiuwa (who ironically took over the No. 5 jersey that Quickley wore for four seasons) hit 9-of-10 of his tries from the field, most of them coming in the second as the Knicks (26-17) pulled away from the reeling Raptors for their fourth straight victory.
“It felt a little weird being against those guys, especially Scottie (Barnes), Chris (Boucher),” Achiuwa said on Saturday's reunion, per Jared Schwartz of the New York Post. “It just felt a little weird competing against those guys, but the main thing is the main thing, to win the game.”
The Achiuwa name previously graced the MSG scoreboard for two seasons when his older brother God'sgift played for St. John's. The younger Achiuwa also started at Our Saviour Lutheran School in The Bronx, where his family settled after immigrating from Nigeria.
Achiuwa's cinematic showing, rising to the occasion against his former NBA employers, was necessitated by an ankle injury to starting center Isaiah Hartenstein, one that proved to be game-ending. Prior to Saturday's game, the 6-8, 243-lb. Achiuwa played 20 minutes only once in his first 10 showings as a Knick.
"I didn’t do anything different,” Achiuwa said of his prep for a potentially extended opportunity, per Steve Popper of Newsday. “I approach the game the same way every day, play the same way, (with) the same intensity. Today just happened to be a day where things went my way.”
With the glory of Saturday's win out of the way, the Knicks now hold their breath as they await news on Hartenstein, who has filled in handsomely for starting center Mitchell Robinson. Achiuwa has mostly come off the bench during his career, making 44 starts with Toronto and Miami in his first three seasons.
Head coach Tom Thibodeau briefly addressed the immediate future of the paint in the event of Hartenstein (who played all 82 games last season) missing extended time. While appreciative of Achiuwa's efforts, Thibodeau hinted that he could continue to work with the second unit while bestowing the starting duties to Manhattan veteran Jericho Sims.
“I feel really good about our center position because Jericho ... ready,” Thibodeau said, per Popper. “When his opportunity comes, I know he’ll do well. He’s active, a great rebounder. He brings a lot to our team as well.”
Despite losing Hartenstein, Achiuwa's performance on the glass helped the Knicks hold a plus-30 advantage in rebounding against the Raptors. Julius Randle led the way with 16 for the Knicks, part of his eighth career triple-double as a New Yorker.
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