SALT LAKE CITY — Tim Hardaway Jr. returned to the starting lineup and returned to being a difference-maker.
After three games of coming off the bench to preserve his minutes, all resulting in losses, Hardaway started and erupted. He finished with 31 points in 27 minutes as the Knicks knocked out the Jazz 117-115 at Vivint Smarthome Arena on Friday.
The Knicks nearly lost a 10-point lead with 2:13 left as Hardaway missed two free throws with 32.5 seconds left as the Knicks lead got stuck at three up.
But the Jazz failed on three opportunities on one possession — the last a 3-point miss by Joe Ingles.