It’s happened and just the right time. Kristaps Porzingis and the New York Knicks will welcome back two-guard Tim Hardaway Jr. with open arms when they take on the Timberwolves in Minnesota on Friday night.
Talk about world-class timing.
Tim Hardaway Jr. will make his long-awaited return from injury on Friday night when his New York Knicks travel to Minnesota to take on the young Timberwolves.
Al Iannazzone of Newsday had it first when he put it quite simply, “Tim Hardaway Jr. is returning tonight.”
Tim Hardaway Jr. is returning tonight.
— Al Iannazzone (@Al_Iannazzone) January 12, 2018
The timing is crucial due to the porous nature of the Knickerbockers at this very moment. Currently sitting with a record of 19-22, good enough for the No. 10 spot in the east, all early-season exciting vibes have dissipated.
New York has lost four of its last five and eight of its last 10 games.
Kristaps Porzingis started the season as one of the NBA’s most feared scorers. Since Timmy’s shelf time began, KP’s scoring has dwindled consistently.
Hardaway, 25, has been dealing with a stress injury to his lower left leg. He injured it in a Knicks 155-86 romp of a victory over the Miami Heat back on Nov. 29, 2017. At that time, New York improved its record to 11-10. The Knicks have since gone 8-12 in his absence.
Sprinkle in Enes Kanter’s injury-riddled situation for much of the season and KP has played basketball at the big boy level with very little help.
. @T_HardJR is back! You know what that means… pic.twitter.com/yMEepA2JgS
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) January 12, 2018
Hardaway will look to improve upon his solid stat line of 17.8 points per game while shooting .420 from the field. The Knicks-Timberwolves tip from Minnesota at 8 p.m. ET and can be seen on MSG Network.
