The Cleveland Cavaliers pulled out a Game 7 win on Sunday afternoon over the Indiana Pacers to push on through to the second round of the playoffs. However, a good part of that first-round series saw veteran guard George Hill deal with some nagging back issues that forced him to miss three games.
He was able to make his return to the floor for Sunday as Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com pointed out that he used heating pads and a few injections to get him physically ready to play. Following the game, head coach Tyron Lue voiced that the 31-year-old will continue to play in a limited capacity moving forward in the playoffs.
This situation is something that the Cavs will continue to monitor moving forward given Hill’s struggles with his back over the last several days. His inability to play in a greater capacity has hurt the team’s ability to guard the perimeter more effectively and has contributed to opposing teams getting more points in the paint. This has also seen an increased level of offensive responsibility on the shoulders of LeBron James to lead the team in scoring.
With the presence of a true point guard, it has put James in the position of working more pick-and-roll actions offensively to get the team’s offense going aside from his scoring output. There isn’t any time for Hill to truly rest as he will have push through the injury for likely the rest of the Cavs’ playoff run.
The fact that he was able to play shows great toughness and grit to help contribute in 19 minutes played on Sunday scoring 11 points while hauling down six rebounds, dishing out three assists, and getting a block. He was most effective getting to the free throw line nailing nine of his 11 free-throw attempts. With Hill back in the fold in his limited role should provide the team with a much-needed lift in the backcourt to better prepare for the Toronto Raptors’ All-Star backcourt.