The Cleveland Cavaliers will have to finish their game against the New Orleans Pelicans without their starting point guard George Hill.
Midway through the third quarter of the contest, Hill drove strong to the hoop against a phalanx of Pelicans defender. His shot failed to trickle in, but that turned out to be the least of his worries as the veteran point guard appeared to have rolled his ankle upon takeoff, grimacing in pain as he came down on the floor.
Watch the video below.
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin gave his observation on Twitter and reported that Hill headed straight to the locker room. Jeff Schudel of News-Herald.com reported that Hill won’t be returning to the game.
This only comes at the worst time for Cleveland. Prior to the game, Kevin Love and J.R. Smith were deemed as questionable to play. Kyle Korver has been out since tending to important family matters. While Rodney Hood has been hounded by lingering back problems.
The Cavs are in the thick of a position battle in the Eastern Conference. They currently sit at the third spot but are facing a real danger of going down the standings with a number of teams breathing down their neck at this point.
Jose Calderon will have to put in the extra effort along with Jordan Clarkson in manning the point guard while Hill is out. LeBron James, meanwhile, will take even more playmaking responsibilities. But even more so, Hill’s defensive presence would be sorely missed if he’s forced to sit out games.