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Tim Hardaway Jr., the Dallas Mavericks and the entire NBA had a rare off night on Monday. With March Madness culminating in the NCAA Final Tournament championship between Purdue and UConn, all eyes were on collegiate basketball. Hardaway was likely one of many pro basketball stars who spent the night watching the action between the Boilermakers and the Huskies.
Before that showdown, though, a phenomenon traveled across the sky from Mexico to the Eastern side of Canada. Millions watched the 2024 solar eclipse that darkened cities in different time zones. It was a spectacle that must have also attracted the imagination and attention of NBA players.
An X, formerly Twitter, site couldn’t resist poking fun at Tim Hardaway Jr. with a post showing the backup forward wearing sunglasses and captioned it with:
“Report: Tim Hardaway Jr. (eye strain) is out tomorrow. He viewed the eclipse with non-polarized sunglasses”
The tweet was false, as the Dallas Mavericks don’t have him on the injury report for Tuesday’s showdown with the Hornets in North Carolina. Hardaway is ready to lace up his sneakers and help his team continue its surging run to finish the season.
While the Mavericks don’t have Tim Hardaway Jr. on the injury list, the team has ruled out Dereck Lively II (knee sprain). Josh Green (ankle sprain) is doubtful, while Maxi Kleber is also iffy due to back spasms.
The Mavericks will need Tim Hardaway Jr. in the playoffs
The Dallas Mavericks (48-30) are likely ending with a guaranteed appearance past the regular due to an impressive surge over the last three weeks.
They are just two games behind the LA Clippers (50-28) for the fourth spot and the opportunity to host a first-round playoff series. As he has done all season long, Tim Hardaway Jr. will be needed for the Mavs’ lofty goals.
Hardaway’s combination of volume shooting, nearly eight 3-point attempts per game and efficiency (47.6) make him the perfect complement to Dallas’ two superstars.
Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic get a bigger floor to operate with Hardaway posing as a threat to hit rainbow shots.
The veteran is also an underrated defender who will scrap and jostle on that end of the floor. He's far from the Mavericks’ most important player, but his skill set makes him invaluable to the team. Irving and Doncic also love to play with him.
The Dallas Mavericks need him to remain healthy. They likely didn’t like the tweet testing fate by mentioning an eye strain.
Guess the Lakers players!
