Tim Hardaway Jr. has a family tradition to keep.
It’s not at the top of his mind, and it is a difficult task, since his father destroyed the Knicks in the playoffs. But the younger Hardaway has at least thought about the lineage before visiting the Garden as a playoff opponent.
“I’m going to try my best,” said a laughing Hardaway during an interview with The Post. “It’s kind of hard with him.”
Hardaway’s path back to the Garden was bumpy, rerouted a few times, and altogether unpredictable. As a kid, he watched his Hall of Fame father handle New York in postseason battles with the Miami Heat, most notably with 38 points in Game 7 of the 1997 conference semis. Then Hardaway was drafted by the Knicks — and dumped twice by the Knicks — before another trade from the Mavericks to New York’s current playoff opponent, the Pistons.
