The Cleveland Cavaliers will wrap up their back-to-back set with a matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night. However, according to several reports that were released during pre-game media availability, the Cavs will be without the services of Jose Calderon and George Hill.
Hill, now 31 years of age, suffered an ankle sprain in last week’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans. The savvy veteran stepped on Rajon Rondo’s foot while driving to the hoop. Friday marks the fourth consecutive game he’s been ruled out.
Cavs head coach Tyronn Lue shed some light on when Hill might be able to return to play, noting that he could be back before the playoffs start.
Hill has been an excellent addition to Cleveland’s rotation. The former 26th overall pick (2008) has made 22 appearances with the Cavs this season, averaging 9.9 points on 44.4 percent shooting from the field (35.1 percent from beyond the arc), 2.9 assists and 2.8 rebounds in 29.1 minutes.
Coach Lue elected to give Cedi Osman a starting nod in Thursday night’s win over the Washington Wizards. Cavs fans could see more of the same with Rodney Hood and Jordan Clarkson seeing increased playing time as well.
Calderon, 36, was held out of Thursday’s game due to hamstring soreness. The Spanish-born ball handler recorded 19 points in Tuesday’s win over the Toronto Raptors, marking his highest point total as a member of the Cavaliers.
Friday night’s Cavs-Sixers game is scheduled to tip inside the Wells Fargo Center at 7:00 p.m. EST with NBA TV and FOX Sports Ohio having live broadcast coverage.