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Prior to Game 1 of the series between the Atlanta Hawks and the Boston Celtics, there was some concern about Tim Hardaway Jr.'s availability for the series. The talented backup swingman was facing a strained groin suffered in the team's regular season finale, but after a so-so performance in the playoff opener, Hardaway Jr. has been declared fully healthy in advance of Game 2.
Bud said today that Tim Hardaway Jr.'s strained groin is completely healed. That's why no longer on injury report.
— Chris Vivlamore (@CVivlamoreAJC) April 19, 2016
Hardaway Jr. appeared for only eight minutes in Atlanta's one-point victory and, frankly, he did not look particularly explosive on either end of the floor. However, the Hawks declaring that he is "completely healed" (Hardaway Jr. has been removed from the injury report) is certainly noteworthy, especially when it comes to Mike Budenholzer's rotations moving forward.
While much of the focus was on the lack of playing time for Kris Humphries (in favor of Mike Scott or even Mike Muscala), a scenario exists in which Budenholzer simply deploys three wins (Thabo Sefolosha, Kent Bazemore, Kyle Korver) for the great majority of the team's minutes moving forward. It will be interesting to see if Hardaway Jr. can prove his worth in a playoff setting and, hopefully, he appears to be healthier when the two teams take the floor on Tuesday.