Precious Achiuwa didn’t start. But he finished.
And the performance Wednesday against the 76ers reinforced his confidence.
“I’m an elite defender,” he said after collecting three blocks in the Knicks’ 125-119 overtime win. “I don’t think I got to say that.”
Precious Achiuwa (No. 5) blocks a shot during the Knicks-76ers game on Jan. 15, 2025. AP
With Karl-Anthony Towns shelved because of an injured thumb, Achiuwa, the Knicks’ lone frontcourt reserve behind starter Jericho Sims, played all but a few seconds of the fourth quarter and overtime.
He was the catalyst down the stretch with his rebounding, rim protection and overall presence in the paint.
The key, Achiuwa said, was forcing the Sixers to deviate from their clear plan of either Tyrese Maxey or Paul George.
“They were only going to two guys,” Achiuwa said. “So for me, it was how can we get the ball out of those guys’ hands? Make somebody else make a play.”
There was a big caveat — the Sixers didn’t have Joel Embiid or Andre Drummond, leaving the 6-foot-7 Guerschon Yabusele as their center — but the Knicks frontcourt play Wednesday, a huge question mark without KAT, was hardly a detriment.
Sims contributed 23 solid minutes with six offensive boards. He tripped up a little with foul trouble, but the defense and rebounding was positive.
Precious Achiuwa shoots during the Knicks-76ers game on Jan. 15, 2025. NBAE via Getty Images
Sims’ ability to defend pick-and-rolls offers the Knicks a different look than the often faulty drop coverage with Towns in the lineup.
But Achiuwa, who is just 6-8 and traditionally a power forward, took over Wednesday when it mattered most.