Former Maverick Makes NBA History in Overtime Win Over Miami Heat

The streaky shooting of this veteran hit an all-time high on Tuesday night

Dec 7, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Tim Hardaway Jr. (8) reacts after dunk New York Knicks during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Detroit Pistons blew a late lead to the Miami Heat on Monday night, allowing Miami to go on an 18-2 run over the final 5:39 of regulation to force overtime. All hope looked to be lost when the Heat started overtime on an 8-0 run to take command of the game. That's when a former Dallas Maverick stepped up to the plate.

Tim Hardaway Jr. hit three consecutive triples in the span of a minute for the Pistons to give them a 123-122 lead, and they'd go on to win 125-124. Hardaway became the 11th player to score 9+ points in one minute of overtime play since 2000.

After Miami outscored Detroit 18-2 over the final 5:39 of regulation, then 8-0 to start overtime, it looked like the Pistons were beat.

Insert Tim Hardaway Jr.

Hardaway buried triples on three consecutive possessions to get Detroit back in the game when all looked lost against… pic.twitter.com/g3qAH3RmF0

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) December 17, 2024

READ MORE: Luka Doncic Not Pleased With Mavs' Defense Against Warriors Despite Win

Hardaway is averaging just 9.9 PPG and shooting 35.4% from three-point range this season. He started the season strong but was shooting 19.3% from deep in the 13 games before Monday's 5/10 performance.

Dallas envisioned Hardaway Jr. as a key bench shooter for a title-contending team, but his inconsistencies and bad shot IQ sometimes stymied the offense. As much as his dad would blame it on Jason Kidd or Luka Doncic, Hardaway Jr. had a lot to do with the clunkiness of the offense over the last few years.

The Mavericks shipped off Hardaway Jr. and three second-round picks to the Pistons this offseason to bring in Quentin Grimes, which helped unload some salary and find a player who better fits the roster. Grimes is averaging 8.7 PPG while shooting a career-high 41.6% from three-point range this season, while also playing above-average defense.

READ MORE: 3 Takeaways From Mavericks' Shootout Win Over Warriors

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