OG Anunoby, RJ Barrett, and Immanuel Quickley were not the only ones seeking vengeance.
Another element of that blockbuster trade leaked out in the Knicks’ 126-100 victory against the Raptors on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden, the first time the two teams had met since the transaction.
Precious Achiuwa, a Knicks center, finished with 18 points — by far his season high with either team — in 25 minutes off the bench, along with 11 rebounds and one block.
The 25-minute mark was also a season high.
He made an almost 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.
Head coach Tom Thibodeau did not have much of an update on Hartenstein after the game.
“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.
With the Raptors, Achiuwa had averaged 7.7 points and 5.4 rebounds in 17.5 minutes per game this year.
“It felt a little weird being against those guys — especially Scottie [Barnes], Chris [Boucher],” Achiuwa said. “It just felt a little weird competing against those guys, but the main thing is the main thing, to win the game.”
