Tim Hardaway Jr. is fast becoming the Knicks’ reliable second option to Kristaps Porzingis, and Wednesday he was the first.
For the third time in eight days at the Garden, the Knicks rallied from a double-digit second-half deficit to squeak out victory as Hardaway grabbed the hero’s role.
The $71 million man grabbed a loose-ball rebound, then sank a 3-pointer over Joe Ingles to lift the Knicks to a four-point bulge with 32.5 seconds left, as they hung on for a 106-101 victory over the Jazz.
A surging Hardaway scored 26 points and Porzingis added 22 — their 1-2 punch that’s so far carried the Knicks (8-6) to a nice start.