For much of the first half of the regular season, Tim Hardaway Jr. was one of the league’s best bench scorers. That has been the case for much of his Dallas Mavericks tenure. A little less than half his games with the franchise have come as a reserve (169 of 352). He finished ninth in Sixth Man of the Year voting this season and fifth in 2020-21.
It was a tale of two halves though for the 32-year-old Hardaway. In 52 games before the All-Star break, he averaged 17.3 points on 56.1% true shooting. His 27 outings after the All-Star break saw those numbers dip to 8.9 and 48.3% respectively. Can one quarter in the NBA Finals get Hardaway Jr. going again?
Can A Strong 4th Quarter Revive Mavericks 11-Year Veteran’s Play?
Three-Pointers Aplenty For Tim Hardaway Jr. In Fourth Quarter
Hardaway Jr. did not play at all in the first three quarters of Game 4 on Friday. Only with the game beyond out of reach was Hardaway Jr. inserted in to play the fourth quarter.
The 11-year veteran attempted seven shots in that fourth quarter. All of them came from behind the arc, and he connected on five of them. That put Hardaway Jr. in a class of two of the best shooters of all time. He is now one of just three players ever to connect on five threes in a single quarter in NBA Finals history along with Stephen Curry and Ray Allen.
Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd then went on to compare him to those two sharpshooters while stating they will need that for Game 5.
“He looked like Ray [Allen] and Steph [Curry]. So we’re gonna need that here in Game 5… Hopefully, he’s able to knock down those same shots.”
Jason Kidd on Tim Hardaway Jr.’s performance in Game 4 🗣️
(via @danield1214) pic.twitter.com/qAP4AEuyS1
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 16, 2024
The Mavericks victory over the Boston Celtics helped them avoid a sweep. There is still a long climb ahead to get back in the series starting with Monday’s Game 5.
Postseason Struggles Prior To Garbage Time Game 4 Minutes
Many will point out that Hardaway Jr.’s fourth quarter came with no pressure due to the score being out of reach. They can also point out to his previous postseason play where there was pressure and be skeptical if his hot shooting will continue.
After not playing in Game 2, Hardaway Jr. received 19 minutes of action in Game 3. That outing won’t end up on his highlight reel. He shot 0-5 from the field and 0-3 from three-point territory, putting up a goose egg in the points column. The team was a -16 with him on the court in what was a seven-point loss.
Hardaway Jr. has appeared in 13 playoff games this season. He has only averaged 4.7 in those contests. Additionally, his shooting percentages are not good at 38% from the field and with a true shooting percentage of 50.
A Boston win tonight ends the Mavericks’ hopes of a second championship in franchise history. Kidd has a tough decision as to whether he will insert Hardaway Jr. into Game 5 when the game isn’t in doubt.
