The Knicks led by five points when Karl-Anthony Towns picked up his fifth foul with 6:34 left in the fourth quarter.
It looked dark.
My precious Achiuwa changed that.
The reserve forward helped the Knicks turn the game around.
Achiuwa was on the floor as he ripped off a game-changing 20-9 run to clinch a 117-114 victory over the Spurs on Christmas Day.
Achiuwa helped slow down Victor Wembaneyama and was a key factor in the Knicks' dominance on the offensive end, grabbing 10 total boards and four on the offensive end.
“We just have to do our best to win the game, play the game the right way, work a little bit and trust each other,” Achiuwa said. “At the end of the day, it was executed at a high level. Stay positive.”
It was a memorable holiday for the Bronx native, who was able to perform in front of his loved ones on Christmas for the first time.
“It was amazing,” said Achiuwa, who missed the first 21 games of the season because of a left hamstring strain. “It was a surreal moment to be able to play in front of my friends on a day like this. It was amazing.”
Jalen Brunson and Towns were on the bench for most of that crucial fourth quarter.
But the lesser-known Knicks have risen to prominence.
Achiuwa and Miles McBride played key roles.
Mikal Bridges scored 15 of the Knicks' career-high 41 points in the period, and OG Anunoboye held Wembangyama scoreless over the final 7 minutes, 44 seconds.
“It shows the depth of our team,” Josh Hart said. “clearly [Bridges] He had a great game, so we went and got him. OG played great offensively and more importantly defensively. And Deuce gave us a good time. Now we're in a position where we don't need 'JB' to go out and score 30 points in order to win, to be in the game. ”
Former St. John's star Julien Champagnie of the Spurs has had a huge breakthrough this season, coming off the bench and scoring nine points in 26 minutes.
He averaged a career-high 12.5 points as a 3-and-D wing.
Fellow Big East alumnus, Connecticut rookie Stephon Castle, had six points and three assists in his professional Garden debut.
