New York Knicks: Who stepped up against the Charlotte Hornets on Nov. 7?

Tim Hardaway Jr.

Tim Hardaway Jr. played without much confidence whatsoever during the first half. After two quarters of frustrated play, however, the $71 million man came out firing with an explosive—and clutch—second half performance that played a pivotal role in the comeback victory.

The New York Knicks have been looking for a full four quarters from Hardaway, but it’s performances like this that inspire confidence.

Hardaway finished the win over Charlotte with 19 points, five rebounds, and a steal in 33 minutes of action. He struggled at the free throw line, going a mere 4-of-8, but shot 6-of-14 from the field and 3-of-7 from beyond the arc.

That includes the 29-foot bomb that Hardaway buried to cut the deficit to 109-106 with 4:48 remaining in the fourth quarter, thus setting the stage for the completed comeback.

It’s also worth noting that Hardaway scored seven points in the first three minutes of the third quarter. It was a critical individual run, as the Knicks were struggling to go shot-for-shot with the Hornets, which converted 15 three-point field goals.

Hardaway still has work to do, but his play in the second half was legitimately vital to the Knicks’ improvement to a record of 6-4.