The Dallas Mavericks got their sixth victory of the young season on Monday night in comeback fashion against the Orlando Magic, 117-102.
Orlando jumped out to quick lead in the first quarter and led by as many as 15 in the first half. Heading into the second half down 66-53, the Mavs flipped the script by outscoring the Magic by 16 points and never looked back.
A huge part to Dallas' victory, and their 6-1 record to start the season, is the play of Tim Hardaway Jr., who finished with 21 points and six rebounds on 8-of-16 shooting from the field in 31 minutes off the bench on Monday.
"Just picking and choosing my spots, playing off the guys" Hardaway Jr. said after the win. "We know Coach Mose (Jamahl Mosley) very well being our assistant for a while so kind of knew what to expect out of him."
Monday's performance marks the third 20-point game off the bench for THJ, which leads the league. For THJ, who started 45 games last season for Dallas, the path to his success coming off the bench started with acceptance.
"First and foremost, it's accepting that role," Hardaway Jr. said. "Second, is going out there being aggressive and having that mindset that if the first group got it going, keep that pace going. If the first group doesn't have it going, then do your best to make a difference to make that first group's job a lot easier."
Through the first seven games, Hardaway Jr. is averaging 18.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists while shooting 38.5 percent from 3-point range on just over nine attempts in 29 minutes per game. That kind of bench production puts him in the early driver’s seat for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award.
"Obviously, I can't do a lot of this without the four other guys out there on the court with me," Hardaway Jr. said. "We play fast, we're aggressive. We try our best to defend to the best of our abilities and just try to help the first group stay in tact and keep the game close or extend the game."
For Dallas to continue winning games at its current rate, as well as keeping up its offensive onslaught, Hardaway Jr.'s consistent scoring punch off the bench is key.
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