Key Match-up – George Hill and Tony Parker
After missing his six previous games, George Hill was back in action on Monday night against the Warriors and he didn’t waste any time reminding Jazz fans just how important he is to this team. In a mere 19 minutes (he was on a 20-minute restriction) Hill poured in 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field and 5-of-7 from deep.
If that ultra-efficient George Hill that was so prevalent in the season’s early going is the one that’s going to show up during the postseason, the Jazz will make an enormous leap from good to great as they get set to face the Clippers. Hopefully Hill’s hot play from the win at Golden State will prove to not be a fluke and he’ll be able to carry it over into tonight’s game against San Antonio to remind fans just how good he can be and to instill confidence in his entire team.
If THIS George Hill shows up in the playoffs, the Jazz become really good
— Eric Walden (@tribjazz) April 11, 2017
Hill will also need to be solid on veteran Tony Parker, who has consistently hurt the Jazz with his savvy finishing ability and uncanny ability to light it up from mid-range. In the latest bout between Utah and San Antonio, Hill did not play and consequently Parker had an enormous game. He finished with 21 points, second on the team only to Kawhi Leonard, on a solid 7-of-15 shooting performance.
If Hill is at full-strength, then his length and quickness should be enough to contain Parker defensively while allowing him to have his way on offense against the aging veteran. Hill was sharp on both ends of the floor in limited minutes against Curry on Monday and repeating that tonight will likely be key to overcoming Parker and the Spurs.
.@utahjazz hang on for 105-99 win over @warriors as George Hill returns with 20 pts. Gobert: 17 pts, 18 rebhttps://t.co/ef93qte6ji pic.twitter.com/LdeuAarzPp
— NBA.com (@NBAcom) April 11, 2017
However, it’s possible that Hill will once again be on a minutes restriction as he looks to work his way back from a groin injury even though he wasn’t listed on the latest Jazz injury report. Therefore, depending on what San Antonio opts to do regarding minutes and whether or not the likes of Shelvin Mack and Dante Exum are able to step up, Parker could still be very much poised to hurt the Jazz again.
Thus, although Parker isn’t by any means the Spurs only weapon, finding a way to slow him down while getting another big game out of George Hill will be vital and could very well be enough to give Utah a critical edge in this season-ending contest.