Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports
It’s a must for the Indiana Pacers to have George Hill in the lineup for Game 6 or, if necessary, Game 7 of the NBA semifinal playoff series with the New York Knicks. Without him, the Knicks could take advantage and steal the series away from the Pacers. It’s a series that the Pacers, with their fine 3-1 start, deserve to win.
But the concussion that Hill sustained threatens the Pacers’ much-deserved series victory, especially if the Knicks win Saturday night.
The Pacers can’t afford to have a key player like him out of the lineup. On the other hand, the Pacers risk long-term disaster by playing Hill if he’s not fully recuperated from the concussion. That’s an awful dilemma to be in, but there’s not much the Pacer can do about it at this point.
Hills has ranked as the team’s third-best point producer all season and with 14.6 points and 4.9 assists per game. As a guard, his 44.6 percent shooting from the floor, 36.8 percent in threes and 81.7 in free throws are marks of a decent shooting guard. He also is one of the better defensive guards on the team.
In a close game, the presence or absence of Hill will make a difference. It’s why Indiana needs him to be healthy enough to play.
For the playoffs, he’s averaging 16 points, 4.10 rebounds and 4.4 assists a game. He’s also been putting in 36.4 minutes per playoff game — that’s what really hurts the Pacers if he is not in the lineup. Now’s not the time to be looking for quality substitutes.
