Precious Achiuwa checked in for the first time this season to an appreciative ovation from the Garden crowd barely two minutes into Thursday’s second quarter.
The Bronx product was active for the Knicks for the first time this season after missing 21 games with a hamstring issue.
Achiuwa finished with two points and four rebounds in 12 minutes in 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 said afterward. “So just being able to go out there and hearing the crowd, it meant a lot 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 big man, who filled in ably at center and power forward last season following a late December trade from the Raptors, had been unavailable since suffering a strained left hamstring during the Knicks’ final preseason game 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 said. “It was a long process, every day, just hours and hours. … Definitely there were times I thought that I’m ready, but honestly I had to be very careful because it’s something that can linger a 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 back, backup center Jericho Sims played only three minutes.
Cam Payne was out of the lineup after landing on the injury report as questionable with left-elbow effusion.
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As the primary backcourt tandem on the second unit, Payne (8.2 points per game) and Miles McBride (11.3) have combined to average nearly 20 points.
Payne also missed four games earlier this season with a hamstring issue.
The Knicks assigned rookie Pacome Dadiet to G League Westchester.
LaMelo Ball (calf), Miles Bridges (knee), Tre Mann (back) and Grant Williams were out for Charlotte.