2 min read • January 26, 2022
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Mavericks' sixth man Tim Hardaway Jr. suffered a fractured left fifth metatarsal (the bone connected to his pinky toe) midway through the 2nd quarter Tuesday night, the team announced.
He will undergo more testing on the injury in the coming days.
The fracture of the fifth metatarsal is also know as a Jones fracture, the same injury that has kept out Zion Williamson all year, delayed Ben Simmons' rookie season and cost Kevin Durant 55 games of his 2014-15 season.
Hardaway Jr. appeared to induce the fracture when he planted his left foot attempting to launch for a layup with 7:17 left in the quarter.
The 29-year-old was unable to put any weight on the foot immediately after the step, landing and hopping on his right foot. He was helped off the court and took a wheelchair out of Chase Center to conduct further testing.
Reggie Bullock and Frank Ntilkina played 24 and 18 minutes Tuesday, respectively, a good indication of who will step in without Hardaway Jr.
The 9th-year pro opened the season as Dallas' starting shooting guard, but was moved to a bench role after early-season struggles coincided with the emergence of Jalen Brunson.
Hardaway Jr. is averaging 14.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists on 39.4% shooting for the 27-21 Mavericks.
This is the second fracture Hardaway Jr. has suffered to his left leg, as he missed the final 11 games of the 2018-19 season with a fracture of his left tibia that required offseason surgery. He recovered and returned for the start of the following year.
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