Valuable Achiuwa checked in for the primary time this season to an appreciative ovation from the Backyard crowd barely two minutes into Thursday’s second quarter.
The Bronx product was lively for the Knicks for the primary time this season after lacking 21 video games with a hamstring problem.
Achiuwa completed with two factors and 4 rebounds in 12 minutes within the Knicks’ 125-101 win over the Hornets.
“[The reception] means a lot to me. Obviously, New York to me is very dear to my heart,” Achiuwa mentioned afterward. “So simply with the ability to go on the market and listening to the group, it meant quite a bit to me.
“Definitely watching from the sideline has been very tough, but just being out there and knowing that the crowd is behind me throughout the whole process has been very reassuring.”
The versatile large man, who crammed in ably at middle and energy ahead final season following a late December commerce from the Raptors, had been unavailable since struggling a strained left hamstring through the Knicks’ closing preseason sport on Oct. 1.
“I was really happy to be out there. It’s been a long stretch, a long process of being out. Not fun at all, but it felt really good to be out there,” Achiuwa mentioned. “It was an extended course of, each day, simply hours and hours. … Undoubtedly there have been instances I assumed that I’m prepared, however truthfully I needed to be very cautious as a result of it’s one thing that may linger a very long time.
“Everybody was very cooperative with it, understanding I had to take my time and make sure it was all healed up.”
With Achiuwa again, backup middle Jericho Sims performed solely three minutes.
Cam Payne was out of the lineup after touchdown on the damage report as questionable with left-elbow effusion.
As the first backcourt tandem on the second unit, Payne (8.2 factors per sport) and Miles McBride (11.3) have mixed to common almost 20 factors.
Payne additionally missed 4 video games earlier this season with a hamstring problem.
The Knicks assigned rookie Pacome Dadiet to G League Westchester.
LaMelo Ball (calf), Miles Bridges (knee), Tre Mann (again) and Grant Williams had been out for Charlotte.
