Pistons Veteran Remains on Injury Report vs Raptors After Big Scare

The Detroit Pistons have Tim Hardaway Jr. on the injury report against the Raptors.

Oct 8, 2024; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Tim Hardaway Jr. (8) drives past Phoenix Suns guard Monte Morris (23) at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Dale Young-Imagn Images / Dale Young-Imagn Images

Tuesday night’s action between the Detroit Pistons and the Miami Heat featured a big injury scare for the home team. As Tim Hardaway Jr was knocked around, the veteran forward needed assistance to get up and exit the court.

Hardaway had to undergo testing right away to see if he had suffered a concussion during the game.

According to NBA Insider Chris Haynes, a CAT scan produced negative results for Hardaway. However, he had to receive stitches after getting elbowed in the face. The Pistons officially diagnosed Hardaway with a head laceration.

The following night, the Pistons paid a visit to the Milwaukee Bucks. As expected, Hardaway was ruled out for the matchup. It marked the first time he would miss a game since getting traded to the Pistons from the Dallas Mavericks.

Tim Hardaway Jr. (head) listed doubtful for Friday.

— Underdog NBA (@Underdog__NBA) November 14, 2024

Heading into Friday night’s matchup against the Toronto Raptors, Hardaway remains on the injury report. He has a slim chance of playing, but he’s likely going to find himself sidelined. According to the injury report, Hardaway is doubtful against the Raptors.

Without Hardaway on the court against the Bucks, the Pistons didn’t have Simone Fontecchio to come in as he was ruled out for the night due to a toe injury. While Isaiah Stewart has seen his fair share of action at forward, he stuck to a bench role.

The Pistons promoted the rookie first-round forward Ron Holland to the starting lineup. Holland checked in for 28 minutes, producing 11 points, four rebounds, and two assists. Holland filled the role well, but the Pistons’ starting five did miss Hardaway’s high-volume shooting.

Seeing Tim Hardaway Jr. go down was tough for the Pistons.#DetroitBasketball | @ThinkFordFirst pic.twitter.com/ATlrTQfkWj

— FanDuel Sports Network Detroit (@FanDuelSN_DET) November 14, 2024

In 12 games this year, Hardaway has attempted six threes per game. He averaged 13 points on 47 percent shooting from the field and 46 percent shooting from three.

It seems Hardaway is closer to returning than expected since he’s seen a slight status upgrade on the injury report recently. However, Detroit seems to be under the assumption he probably won’t get the nod to go against the Raptors on Friday night.