Isaiah Hartenstein’s Iron Man streak has officially ended, but his replacements, Jericho Sims and Precious Achiuwa, have stepped up to the plate. Hartenstein was ruled out of Tuesday’s game against the Nets due to an inflamed and painful Achilles tendon, an injury that has been troubling him since at least last season. The 25-year-old player had played 164 consecutive games, including on Saturday when he aggravated the injury against the Raptors.
Jericho Sims, who has been used sparingly this season, started in his place at the Barclays Center and recorded four blocks in the first quarter, boosting the confidence of a player who hadn’t logged significant minutes since he sprained his ankle in December. Achiuwa served as a backup and played the fourth quarter as the Knicks furiously rallied to a 108-103 victory.
Julius Randle praised both Sims and Achiuwa, saying, “Precious gave us great minutes. Jericho gave us great minutes. Protecting the rim. Jericho was great protecting the rim in the first half. Precious just being in the right places, getting extra possessions to rebound the ball. Defending the guards. All that kind of stuff. Gave us a lot of versatility.”
It’s unclear how long they will need to shoulder this load. Hartenstein is considered “day-to-day,” according to Tom Thibodeau.
Hartenstein managed the pain in his Achilles tendon for much of last season but never missed a game. With his Achilles health in mind, Hartenstein told the Post that he declined the opportunity to play for Germany in the Fiba World Cup over the summer.
“I didn’t want to be injured, I wanted to make sure I’m fully healthy for the next season,” Hartenstein said earlier this campaign.
In other news, supermodel/TV personality Tyra Banks made an appearance at the Barclays Center on Tuesday with two people dressed as neon wolves. The furry costumed individuals, with Banks sitting between them, began to pet each other when they made it onto the arena camera. A Nets spokesperson said they were filming a show. They all left at halftime, abandoning their seats.
Josh Hart commented on the spectacle, saying, “I thought, ‘What are they?'”
Finally, Thibodeau didn’t seem too surprised that the Bucks fired Adrian Griffin on Tuesday – just 43 games into his tenure as head coach – essentially calling it a consequence of a volatile business.
“Every organization has its philosophy,” said Thibodeau. “There are different things you go through over a season. And so, you can never really judge another organization unless you’re there. Nobody really knows,” Thibodeau said. “I know that if you’re asking me specifically about Adrian, from the time I spent with him, both having coached him and having him on my staff, I know he has high character. I know his quality. I know he’s a great teacher. I know all these things. So, it’s unfortunate, but that’s our business.”