New York Knicks: Who stepped up in road win against Hawks?

ATLANTA, GA - NOVEMBER 7: Tim Hardaway Jr. #3 of the New York Knicks drives to the basket during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on November 7, 2018 at Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images) /

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New York Knicks Tim Hardaway Jr. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Tim Hardaway Jr.

Stat Line: 34 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, 8-for-22 shooting, 16-for-20 on free throws

After a back injury limited him against the Wizards and caused an absence against Chicago, Tim Hardaway Jr. returned with one of his best scoring nights of the season. His 34 points and 16 made free throws led the way which boosted an 8-for-22 mark from the field.

At this point, it’s difficult to expect the 26-year-old shooting guard to be a consistently efficient shooter, as he takes a high volume to offset the lack of primary options behind him. He has seven games of at least 19 shot attempts.

Hardaway appeared to show no limitations from the back injury, playing 36 minutes, two behind Vonleh’s 38. Most of his shots didn’t fall, but he remained aggressive to give this New York Knicks offense the spark it missed Monday.

Without Hardaway, the Knicks had just 95 points against Washington and struggled to cross 110 versus the Bulls’ league-worst defense. So the return was welcomed to an offense that didn’t have an alpha without him.

Hardaway faces a test against Kawhi Leonard, his likely matchup, against the Toronto Raptors Saturday afternoon. If he handles the former NBA Defensive Player of the Year, which is a difficult task for anyone, it would top this 34-point night.

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