While his All-Star teammates Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson combined for 80 points Wednesday night, fill-in starter Precious Achiuwa also enjoyed his highest-scoring game as a Knick in their overtime victory over the Hawks.
Achiuwa will slide back into a reduced role once injured Mitchell Robinson and OG Anunoby return at some point after the All-Star break, but his 26-point performance on 12-for-16 shooting in a season-high 42 minutes once again showed his versatility as Tom Thibodeau’s team improved to 36-18 ahead of a seven-day respite.
“I’m just playing my game and trusting my game. I’m in a good rhythm right now,” said Achiuwa, who has started the past five games at power forward with Anunoby sidelined with a sprained right foot.
“It’s just being ready for whatever is asked of me and being able to perform at whatever levels are needed for us to win games. However much I can be out there, I just want to win basketball games.
“I think that’s the most important thing, is winning games, whatever it takes, and that goes for every guy in this locker room. Whoever is out there, they try to do whatever we can to help the team win.”
Achiuwa got up and out early Thursday morning following his big night to appear at his former high school, St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark, to talk to students and watch a basketball game between the Gray Bees varsity squad and a team of NJ State troopers as part of the Building Bridges program, an initiative developed to build bonds of understanding and trust between communities of color and law enforcement.
“It’s great for the community and the kids for them to be able to interact on a more personal level with all the different things out there. I think it’s great,” said Achiuwa, who spent his sophomore and junior years at the school before transferring to Montverde Academy in Florida. “I always felt St. Benedict’s was a very dear place in my heart. I love the school and I loved my time there. It’s a beautiful place with beautiful people.”
The 25-year-old Achiuwa’s scoring total Wednesday night was one point shy of matching his career-best total of 27 with the Raptors in January 2023.
“Just the versatility,” Thibodeau said Wednesday when asked about Achiuwa’s value to the Knicks.
“I think, obviously, being short-handed and his ability to play the 4 and the 5. That’s a big plus. The offensive rebounding, the athleticism and the ability to switch [positions], particularly when you have Josh [Hart], OG and Mikal [Bridges] out there, as well.”
