NBA hardwood hit hard on Tuesday night in the Detroit Pistons’s match-up against the Miami Heat. Literally! In the third quarter of the game, Piston’s small forward/shooting guard Tim Hardway Jr. attempted some physical defense against Heat’s Tyler Herro. The effort went horribly wrong as the shocked Little Caesars Arena witnessed the back of Hardway’s head getting slammed against the floor, not once but twice. The crowd feared the worst, as Hardway had to be escorted out of the arena in a wheelchair.

Tim’s father, Hardway Sr., who witnessed the scary scene from the sidelines, immediately rushed to the locker room to check on his son. But that was not the only occasion Hardway was hit in the NBA Cup game.

Midway through the third quarter, Hardaway first caught an inadvertent elbow from Heat star Bam Adebayo as he was driving through the lane. Adebayo’s elbow drilled Hardaway directly in the face, though no foul was called. On that occasion, he got up quickly and tried to draw a charge as Tyler Herro drove to the lane.

Hardway Jr. stepped in front of driving Herro. But the Miami star was coming in with so much speed, he knocked the 32-year-old to the floor. Hardway Jr’s lower body hit first, but when his upper torso followed, causing a whiplash effect, and the back of his head violently slammed into the ground.

When Hardaway came down after colliding with Herro, Piston’s Jalen Duren also attempted to contest the shot. In the process, his knee struck Hardaway’s head too, causing further distress to the area that was already hit. Hardway instantly reached for his face in pain as players and trainers rushed to his side to check he was OK. After several moments on the floor, he was lifted onto a wheelchair and taken to the locker room.

Hardaway finished with 11 points and shot 3 of 6 from the field in 19 minutes on Tuesday night. This season, Hardaway has established himself as a full-time starter for Detroit. Despite struggling in the preseason, he instantly proved he could be productive in the games that count. Leading up to the Miami matchup on Tuesday, Hardaway averaged 29 minutes on the court through 11 games. He was producing 13 points on 47 percent shooting from beyond the arc.

For a franchise that holds a 5-7 record (after Tuesday’s 123-121 overtime win against the Heat), and which has ended at the bottom of the points chart for the last couple of years, the presence of the Hardaway was something that the Pistons needed at all times. But he has not only been ruled out of the Pistons’ upcoming game against the Bucks, but it looks like the problem will persist with three back-to-back blows. NBA insider Chris Haynes later reported that he received stitches after taking blows to both his face and hitting the back of his head. But there is some good news for the concerned fans.

An initial CAT scan was negative for concussion, though further specifics of the small forward/shooting guard’s injury are not yet known. But on Wednesday morning, Hardaway took to Instagram to send out a message to his followers. He simply let everybody know that he was OK using just a pair of emojis. This is his first season with the Pistons after spending the last six with the Dallas Mavericks.

The Mavericks acquired Hardaway Jr. at the 2019 trade deadline as part of the deal that sent Kristaps Porzingis to Dallas. While Porzingis would be sent out a few years later, Hardaway Jr. was the last player in that trade to stay with either the Mavs or the Knicks. Dallas needed to offload Hardaway’s contract to stay under the first apron of the luxury tax penalties and used that money to bring in Naji Marshall and agree to a sign-and-trade for Klay Thompson.

While Hardway was unplayable in the 2024 postseason, he was Dallas’ third-leading scorer this season, averaging 14.4 PPG. He also averaged 15.2 PPG across his 352 games in a Mavericks uniform. Fans were not please with his large contract, but he was overall a standout player for the organization, finishing in the top 10 of Sixth Man of the Year voting twice.

Tim Hardaway Jr’s injury marks another instance this year when a player took a knee to the head and fell backward. Back in May, during Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals between the Mavericks and the Wolves, Dereck Lively II faced a similar ailment after he took the brunt of Karl-Anthony Towns’ right knee to the back of his head after contesting a missed shot by Mike Conley.

Similarly to Tim Hardaway Jr., the team rushed the Dallas hoopster back to the locker room. An initial report by Adrian Wojnarowski confirmed that the tests on Lively’s neck came back “OK”. Despite this, the Mavericks still listed him as ‘doubtful’ for Game 4. Head injuries in the NBA are no joke. According to a report by HEADCHECK Health, 153 NBA players sustained a total of 189 concussions between the period of 1999 and 2018. Fans indeed feared that the star might have had a concussion and it didn’t take long for their concerns to pour in.

Tim Hardaway Jr.’s leadership in the Pistons squad will be missed

A social media user did not choose to play around with their words, nor contemplate the injury or what the player’s absence meant for the Pistons. Instead, putting out a simple “Prayers for Tim Hardaway. Wishing him a speedy recovery” accompanied by a folded hands emoji.

When Hardway was included in the Pistons squad, questions immediately arose about his fit. Hardaway Jr.’s struggles in the preseason only deepened doubts about his potential impact. Initially, it seemed unlikely he would play significant minutes. But with Ausar Thompson recovering from a blood clot issue and rookie Ron Holland still adjusting to the fast-paced NBA style, Hardaway found himself starting at small forward.

Hardaway brings valuable perimeter shooting that potentially open the floor for the Pistons’ young core. On the other hand, as a veteran with extensive playoff experience, he seemed more like a short-term roster addition than a core piece. In fact, many predicted that this move was a pragmatic salary maneuver rather than one designed to elevate the team. But Hardway has been kind of in a leadership role in the young Pistons squad.

In light of this, another fan simply wrote, “Prayers for Tim”. The commenter also ended the remark with a folded hands emoji. On the court, Hardway has constantly shared insights, talked players through situations, and lifted them. Off the court, he’s the first to offer encouragement and keep spirits high. His vocal presence is resonating with this Pistons squad. So netizens quickly sat to analyze what might have happened. One wrote, “Prayers up. Looks like he was out cold by the knee then woke when his head hit the ground. Scary stuff.”

Yet another one wrote, “Dude he took an elbow or forearm from highsmith, then before the Collison his head hits the floor, his head hits his teammates knee super hard.” Initially, Hardaway Jr. in a Pistons uniform looked like the winding down of a veteran’s career. After all, he went from being the third-leading scorer on last season’s Mavericks NBA Finals team to finding himself edged out of their rotation by younger players like Jaden Hardy. But he knew that he had more to offer.

So far this season, Hardaway Jr. has done exactly what he’s known for—hitting big shots when it is needed the most. Whether it’s closing out a tight game or sinking crucial threes to bring the Pistons back to the game, his shooting has made an impact. Alongside, his presence gives players like Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey the freedom to attack the lane with confidence, knowing they can kick it out to a reliable shooter.

Such shooting is something the Pistons have sorely missed, since the days of Luke Kennard. For years, they’ve ranked among the league’s worst three-point shooting teams. They still have long way to go, but Hardway have definitely shown the way. Hardaway Jr.’s consistency has reshaped Detroit’s offense, turning each three-point attempt into a smart move. His absence will surely be missed on these counts, as another individual only wrote, “Prayers for him.” 

Meanwhile, alongside Hardway, Jaden Ivey and Simone Fontecchio are also on the injury list, both with toe sprain. With all this, for the second time this season, the Pistons will be rolling out a new starting five. Cade Cunningham, Malik Beasley, Tobias Harris, Ron Holland, and Jalen Duren have been named for the job. Amid all this, prayers for Hardway’s quick return will surely continue to pour in.