NBA Insider Provides Update on Injured Detroit Pistons Forward

Pistons forward Tim Hardaway Jr. left Tuesday's matchup with a head injury.

Oct 16, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Tim Hardaway Jr. (8) during player introductions before their preseason game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images / Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

Things ended up taking a scary turn for the Detroit Pistons in their NBA Cup matchup with the Miami Heat. After taking a series of blows to the head, forward Tim Hardaway Jr. had to be escorted from the game in a wheelchair.

The play started off with the Pistons veteran hitting the deck after taking an elbow to the face from Heat center Bam Adebayo. He managed to recover and get back on feet, then found himself contesting a Tyler Herro layup at the rim. Hardaway lost his balance in the air, resulting in him hitting the floor again. Only this time, the whiplash from the fall caused his head to strike the ground hard. Trainers sat with Hardaway with briefly before eventually taking him to the back in a wheelchair.

Tim Hardaway Jr. left the floor in a wheelchair after taking multiple hits to the head

Hope he is OK. 🙏

pic.twitter.com/NTB4e9KgdS

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) November 13, 2024

Shortly after the game concluded, one NBA insider reported the latest on Hardaway following this scary sequence. He received a CAT scan and the results came back negative. Hardaway's head wound was also addressed and patched up with stitches.

Sources: Detroit Pistons guard Tim Hardaway Jr. underwent a CAT scan and results were negative. He will be getting stitched up after taking elbow to face and then slamming back of his head against the hardwood. He was wheeled off court. Great news considering how scary it looked. pic.twitter.com/Tqyq37UBgM

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) November 13, 2024

This is great news for Hardaway and the Pistons, as things seemed like they could have been more catastrophic in the moment. Aside form Chris Haynes' report, there is no telling if and how much time Hardaway could miss due to this injury.

Following this scary scene, the Pistons managed to rally and come out on top against the Heat. It would take an overtime period, but Cade Cunningham and company get the job done in the final moments.

With this victory, the Pistons find themselves with a 1-0 record in the Group Phase of the NBA Cup. Their next seeding game is on Friday night on the road against the Toronto Raptors.