It has been said ad nauseam, but the Dallas Mavericks cannot survive a deep Western Conference without the supporting cast delivering in key moments. Although Luka Doncic executed another masterful performance Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Lakers, Dante Exum and Tim Hardaway Jr. were instrumental to the Mavs earning a 127-125 home victory.
Exum electrified the American Airlines Center with his fourth-quarter scoring frenzy, while Hardaway put himself in a special category after tallying 32 points on 10-of-21 shooting. He is “the first bench player to record 30-plus points and five-plus {3-pointers} in multiple games this season,” according to StatMuse.
The 2013 first-round pick is making a strong case for Sixth Man of the Year following the first quarter of the season. He is averaging 16.9 points (highest since joining Dallas in 2019) and is shooting an efficient 38.4 percent from distance. Hardaway can be streaky and find himself on a cold stretch at inopportune times, but he is seemingly finding his niche with the Mavs in 2023.
Fans know Doncic is going to shine on a nightly basis- 33 points and 17 assists versus Lakers- and Kyrie Irving has already won a championship. The X-factors are guys like Tim Hardaway Jr. All of the pieces are clicking together so far, as the Mavs are near the top of the West with a 15-8 record.
They can make further headway in the standings when the first-place Minnesota Timberwolves pay them a visit on Thursday, in what is a highly-anticipated showdown between two of the most-improved teams in the NBA. Hardaway will again be a key player to watch.
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