Utah Jazz alumni: Hill, Korver and Hood advance to the NBA Finals
By Ryan Aston
Former Utah Jazz players George Hill, Kyle Korver and Rodney Hood join the Cleveland Cavaliers in vying for an NBA championship.
The Utah Jazz may have wrapped up their season earlier this month, but the NBA Playoffs continue to march toward their conclusion. Obviously, more basketball is never a bad thing, but Jazz fans have been faced with a dilemma ever since their team was eliminated by the Houston Rockets.
The big question: just which of the remaining teams (if any) they should pull for.
If you ask me, the answer to that one is easy. It’s the team that was tasked with defeating Gordon Hayward‘s Boston Celtics, the Cleveland Cavaliers. Not just for spite either; LeBron James‘ crew also happens to feature three former Jazzmen in George Hill, Kyle Korver and Rodney Hood.
Latching onto that particular bandwagon proved to be a winning move on Sunday when the Cavs finally dispatched the Celtics and Hill, Korver and Hood punched their tickets to the NBA Finals.
The Cavs made it happen by hanging on against the Cs in a Game 7 on the road. And they did so despite the absence of five-time All-Star Kevin Love, who currently finds himself in the league’s concussion protocol.
Unsurprisingly, James was the key performer in the win. He racked up 35 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists to lead the way for Cleveland. It was yet another epic game in a long line of incredible playoff performances by the best player in the world.
However, Hill’s hot hand played a large role in giving the Cavs their Game 7 opportunity.
Utah’s starting point guard last season scored 20 points to help secure a Game 6 win on Friday. His offensive impact was significantly less on Sunday, but he did play a part defensively in holding the Celtics’ Terry Rozier to 2-of-14 shooting. He’s also the Cavs’ plus/minus leader this postseason at plus-69
Although Hill began his career with the San Antonio Spurs and has logged over 3000 career postseason minutes, this marks his first-ever trip to the Finals.
It’s Hood’s first Finals appearance as well, and while he hasn’t been part of the Cavs’ rotation recently, the next stage could bring new opportunities.
Finally, there’s Korver, who has turned back the clock a little for the Cavs recently. Without his efforts in Games 3 and 4, Boston likely wins the series running away. Over that two-game stretch, he averaged 14 points per contest and knocked down 9-of-12 shots overall and 6-of-9 from 3-point range.
Don’t ask us — or Tyronn Lue — why he was leashed during Game 5.
In any event, the Cavs will face the winner of Monday’s Game 7 bout between the Rockets-Golden State Warriors for the title. While it was the Rockets who ended the Jazz’s season, both teams are Western Conference rivals. So, when the NBA Finals tip-off on Thursday, May 31, take my advice — stick with the Cavs’ cheering section.
It’s likely a longshot, but championship rings will be in play for three former Jazzmen.