Tim Hardaway Jr. looks and sounds a lot more comfortable these days.
Even after he made a grin-and-bear-it play like taking a full-steam charge from Oklahoma City’s Lu Dort to help secure Monday’s 121-114 win over the Thunder.
For a moment, he was Timmy, the hard-nosed, Hardaway.
“Anytime you got Dort out there, I won’t say he’s wild, but he plays hard every single possession,” Hardaway would say after making sure all his facial parts were intact. “You got to be able to lay your body on the line like he does every night. I just saw the opportunity and stayed there and made sure I absorbed the hit and leave it up to the refs.”
His grit was justly rewarded with the offensive foul on Dort.
That wasn’t the most memorable of Hardaway moments on Saturday. That he went 6-of-14 on three-point shots probably were more noticeable to fans.
His shooting has been extraordinary since Hardaway got back into the starting lineup, which will be 10 games ago after Wednesday’s visit by the 17-11 Cleveland Cavaliers.
Hardaway has hit 45.7 percent from three-point range and shot more than 10 of them per game as a starter.
That’s opposed to 29.2 percent and shooting just six of them per game in his first 17 games coming off the bench.
So is he as comfortable as he looks?
“Yeah, but also, I know in the back of my mind that anything can happen,” said Hardaway, who has come off the bench in 83 games and started 135 in essentially four full seasons with the Mavericks. “Injuries, illnesses, anything . . . knock on wood. You just got to be ready for any task that presents itself.”
But the starting nod that he got in place of Reggie Bullock in November has been a boon for Hardaway – and the Mavericks, who are 4-1 since Hardaway became a starter when he scores 20 or more points.
“The opportunity presented itself,” he said. “I’m just trying to roll with it and stay positive. Reggie’s my guy. I know he has my back. I have his back. At this point, whoever starts, starts. We’re all going out there to contribute to the team no matter what.”
That’s an attitude that has to carry the Mavericks after they have hovered around .500 for the first third of the season after reaching the Western Conference finals in last year’s playoffs.
They are one hot streak away from being a force in the West this season. Or one losing streak away from being a borderline lottery team.
If Hardaway continues to flourish in the starting role, it will make things simpler for everybody, including coach Jason Kidd. He had to make the call of sitting Bullock and inserting Hardaway.
There were no guarantees when he did it that it would be productive or permanent.
“Timmy’s playing at a high level for us,” Kidd said. “He’s shooting the ball, but he’s playing both ends, too.”
As taking the charge against Dort showed.
But as for his shooting, Hardaway said 14 triples in a game probably is pushing the boundary of realistic offensive opportunities.
But he plays by one rule above all others.
“If I’m open, I’m taking it,” he said. “I think I’ve always been confident. I probably get a little too much trigger-happy there (at times).”
There was one in particular in Denver last week when he heaved a shot early in the game from four or five feet beyond the three-point arc.
But when shooters are on a sizzle like he has been lately, you shoot first and don’t ask any questions later.
“I’ve had it rolling for this stretch since I’ve been starting, so I’m just trying to keep my confidence, trust my work and continue to shoot the shots when they’re open, most importantly,” he said.
Briefly: Luka Dončić was beyond confident that he’ll get his money back for the technical foul he was whistled for on Monday in the third quarter against Chicago. “I’ll get that one back for sure,” he said. “He (the ref) said I looked at him. But I didn’t look at him. We sent about seven angles to the NBA office so they could see I was yelling to the teammates.” He said it was the first time he could remember getting a technical for yelling at a teammate . . . Kidd said that Josh Green will be re-evaluated in a couple games for his sprained right elbow. In the meantime, he’s hopeful that Reggie Bullock’s shooting touch is coming around. “Again, the defensive side of the ball is something we always talk about and he’s big for us there,” Kidd said. “But I think Reggie’s turning te corner (with his shot).” . . . Also, Kidd said, Rank Ntilikina “was great too off the bench (against the Thunder) – gave us some toughness, and was able to run it without Luka having to bring the ball up every time against Dort.”
Twitter: @ESefko
Share and comment