Hill’s career night leads Pacers over Cavs
By TYLER SMITH
ISL Editor
(Photo by Pacers Sports and Entertainment)
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Pacers have been a different team this season when George Hill has been on the court. Though this entire year has been defined by the absence of Paul George, you can’t overlook the significance of the injuries to George Hill. Hill contributed his first career triple-double on Friday night to lead the Pacers over the Cavaliers 93-86 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Pacers improved to 12-7 with Hill in the lineup, compared to 12-27 without him.
Hill’s final stat line also included a career high in assists, as he finished with 15 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists on the night.
“I don’t think people understand how good of a basketball player George Hill is,” Coach Frank Vogel said after the win. “He showed it tonight. This was a little bit of an answer to some of his critics from last season.”
Vogel had a big night himself. With the win, he passed Larry Brown for the most career wins by a Pacers NBA head coach. Vogel was humbled by the milestone: “The winningest coach in Pacers history is and will always be Slick Leonard, but to be in the same conversation as Slick, Larry Brown, Larry Bird, and Rick Carlisle, it is special to me. I feel honored to be the coach here.”
The Cavaliers played without stars LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. Indiana has played five straight games against teams without their leading scorer. They will also miss Carmelo Anthony and Derrick Rose in games next week. You won’t find much sympathy from the Pacers, however, considering the injuries they’ve dealt with this season.
The shorthanded Cavs got off to a great start in this game, taking a 21-8 lead in the first six minutes of play. The Pacers woke up pretty quickly after that stretch, including a 32-17 advantage in the second quarter that gave them a 51-45 halftime lead.
After the Pacers built a comfortable 83-70 lead late in the game, the Cavs wouldn’t go down quietly. They went on an 11-2 run to cut the lead to four with 1:35 remaining. A Rodney Stuckey three, and a big bucket by David West helped the Pacers survive the late Cleveland run.
Rodney Stuckey has been red hot since being moved to a reserve role. He played well again on Friday night scoring 19 points to go along with five rebounds and four assists. C.J. Miles added 13 points, while David West scored 12.
With the win, the Pacers moved into the 8th spot in the Eastern Conference. They will play lots of games at home in the next few weeks. And with the potential return of Paul George looming, this season is getting much more interesting for this team. “We’ve stayed together all year despite the injuries,” Coach Vogel said. “We could be a scary team.”
Whether the Pacers become a dangerous low-seed playoff team is still to be determined. For now, they’ll look to keep things headed in the right direction.
Follow Tyler on Twitter: @TylerSmith_ISL
