Hardaway may be out for a while

With Tim Hardaway Jr. undergoing tests to determine the extent of a stress injury to his left shin, a leading orthopedist at Northwestern University told The Post the Knicks shooting guard could be out as little as two weeks or as long as two months. The Knicks are expected to announce details of Hardaway’s exams Tuesday.

Dr. Wellington Hsu, a professor of orthopedic surgery who wrote a paper on basketball leg fractures, said there are two types of stress injuries — a stress reaction and a stress fracture. A stress fracture is such “a small break’’ that only an MRI exam or bone scan can determine this type of hairline fracture, according to Hsu.

If Hardaway does have a stress fracture in his shin he would miss about two months, Hsu said.

A player can still run with a stress fracture but “if you keep playing on it, it will lead to a complete fracture and end your year,’’ Hsu said.

The hope for Hardaway is either of the shin’s two bones — the tibia or fibula — only has a stress reaction.

“It’s no break, just swelling in the bone,’’ Hsu said of a stress reaction.

A stress reaction can lead to a stress fracture if it isn’t rested. However, there are varying severities of stress reactions.

“There’s piddly ones and really bad stress reactions,’’ Hsu said. “It could just be a small area of swelling and that’s a different type of animal as someone who has swelling in the entire bone.’’

A major stress reaction would require Hardaway to rest for four to six weeks, Hsu estimated. However, Hsu said it’s more common for the stress reaction to be minor with one to two weeks of rest is required.

Hardaway, who is second on the team in scoring average at 17.8, has missed two straight games after playing the first 21.

“I think it’s concerning to everybody, an injury that might be longer than a game or two,’’ Hornacek said. “He’s getting evaluated. Hopefully we’ll find out more.’’

Mostly in garbage time, center Willy Hernangomez, who did not play Sunday, posted a double-double — 14 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 7- of-10 from the field. ... In his second straight start at shooting guard Damyean Dotson posted nine points, seven rebounds and two steals in 29 minutes.