Tonight was supposed to be special for Tim Hardaway Jr. It was his first game back in Dallas since getting traded to the Pistons last summer. To give him a hero’s welcome, the Mavs had even planned a video tribute for the veteran guard. But the emotional night quickly turned tragic for Hardaway as an unfortunate injury led to his early exit.

It happened midway through the second quarter. With the ball in Klay Thompson’s hands, the Dallas team initiated a fastbreak. Just like everyone else, Tim ran back on defense. In that process, he accidentally stepped on PJ Washington’s foot and twisted his right ankle. Crouching in visible pain, Hardaway immediately fell to the floor and began favoring the injured foot.

Concerned about his health, even his former Mavs teammates rushed in to check on him. In a scary sight, Hardaway continued to lay on the floor for several minutes and eventually left the court, heading straight to the locker room. Soon after, the Pistons announced that he was done for the night – out with a right ankle sprain.

With that call, Hardaway finished the night scoreless after playing for only eight minutes. The Pistons would be hoping that the injury is not serious. Of course, that would be a massive blow for them because Tim has been a key contributor in their success, averaging 10.4 points and over two rebounds. With him out, Malik Beasley and Dennis Schroder are likely to see a significant increase in minutes. Unfortunately, this is not the first time this season Hardaway’s health has raised concerns.

Tim Hardaway Jr.’s scary fall in November

When Tim moved to Detroit, he publicly voiced his love for taking charges, “Everybody also knows I love taking charges. That’s a beeline staple so, if anybody’s going to have their back, definitely I’ll be there for sure.” However, putting his body on the line on a nightly basis cost him big time. During a game against the Heat in November, Hardaway took a nasty elbow to the face from Bam Adebayo while blocking his driving lane. Fortunately, he was able to continue playing.

Seconds later, he stood in front of Tyler Herro. This time, the hit had major consequences as Tim fell backward upon impact. He took two nasty hits on the back of his head during the fall, first from Jalen Duren’s knee and then on the hardwood. Visibly shaken up, the veteran guard lay on the floor for several minutes while the medical stuff checked on him. Obviously, he was not able to continue and had to be wheel-chaired off the court. A scary sight indeed.

Hardaway even suffered lacerations to his head and had to get stitches. Moreover, he missed a few games recovering from that blow. Hopefully, that will not be the case after tonight’s setback, because the Pistons need Tim in the lineup to continue their dominance and finish strong before the playoffs. Prayers up!