Former Ohio forward Maurice Ndour made his first career NBA start Tuesday night for the New York Knicks in a 100-91 win over the Chicago Bulls.
Ndour had a double-double — his first — with 13 points and 12 rebounds in 31 minutes.
In his rookie season, he's averaged 2.8 points across 28 games for the Knicks. He also regularly features with the franchise's D-League team, the Westchester Knicks.
His first start came at a strange time. The Knicks have actively been benching better players to tank the remaining regular season games in hopes of a better lottery pick in the upcoming draft. Additionally, the Knicks played without three marquee players; a fourth, Carmelo Anthony, appears to be leaving the team in the offseason.
Ndour signed an 18-month contract at the beginning of the season.
Originally born in Senegal, he played in Japan and New York City before transferring to Ohio after junior college. He played for the Bobcats between 2013 and 2015.
