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The Dallas Mavericks were able to defeat the Los Angeles Clippers in their first-round series in the 2024 NBA Playoffs without the services of sixth man, Tim Hardaway Jr. Hardaway injured his ankle in Game 2 after only six minutes on the court and has not been back since.
The injury occurred on April 23rd, diminishing the Mavericks’ bench unit. However, head coach Jason Kidd provided a positive update on his status ahead of the team’s Western Conference semifinal matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
As shared by Grant Afseth of MavsGameDay.com and NBA Analysis Network, Tim Hardaway Jr. will be available for Game 1. He has been a regular participant in practice since the first round against the Clippers has concluded.
Jason Kidd says Tim Hardaway Jr. will be available when the Dallas Mavericks play Game 1 against the OKC Thunder.
— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) May 6, 2024
Hardaway has participated in the Mavs’ practices after Game 6 of their first-round series.
This is big news for the Dallas Mavericks as Hardaway has been an integral part of their second unit this season. He provides a scoring punch, something they were lacking with him sidelined for most of the time against Los Angeles.
His return could not have come at a better time as the Mavericks’ bench suffered another blow in Game 6. Maxi Kleber went down hard on his shoulder when driving to the basket and his availability for the remainder of the postseason is in doubt.
Being without two of their rotation players would have really put Dallas behind the eight-ball heading into the series against the Thunder. But, they will at least have Hardaway back in the mix on the wing.
During the regular season, Tim Hardaway Jr. finished in the top 10 of the Sixth Man of the Year voting. He averaged 14.4 points per game, knocking down 35.3 percent of his 3-point attempts while chipping in 3.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.
His return to the lineup could mean fewer minutes for Josh Green, who stepped into a larger role when Hardaway exited the first-round series.
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