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New York Knicks: Who stepped up against the Houston Rockets?

By Maxwell Ogden

NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 1: Frank Ntilikina #11 of the New York Knicks plays defense against the Houston Rockets on November 1, 2017 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 1: Frank Ntilikina #11 of the New York Knicks plays defense against the Houston Rockets on November 1, 2017 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 1: Tim Hardaway Jr. #3 of the New York Knicks goes to the basket against the Houston Rockets on November 1, 2017 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 1: Tim Hardaway Jr. #3 of the New York Knicks goes to the basket against the Houston Rockets on November 1, 2017 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Tim Hardaway Jr.

For as poorly as the New York Knicks played overall, the last player to blame is shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr. Matched up against the vaunted backcourt of James Harden and Eric Gordon, Hardaway scored with efficiency and fearlessness.

The team result was disappointing, but Hardaway continues to prove that his early season woes were nothing more than an improbable fluke.

Hardaway played 31 minutes against the Houston Rockets, posting 23 points, seven rebounds,, four assists, and two steals during his time on the court. He shot 9-of-18 from the field and, for the second time in three games, went 5-of-10 from beyond the arc.

Since going 6-of-27 from distance during the first four games of the season, Hardaway has shot 13-of-30—43.3 percent.

Beyond the obviously encouraging improvement as a shooter, Hardaway has displayed a willingness to contribute in other phases of the game. Over the course of the past three games, he’s tallied 15 rebounds, 15 assists, and seven steals.

Since beginning the 2017-18 NBA regular season in dreadful form, Hardaway has bounced back with a string of quality performances that firmly display his long-term value.

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