INDIANAPOLIS — The Pacers prepared for the worst. But it worked out for the best — in every way.
Indiana was preparing to go without George Hill, who had missed Thursday’s game with a concussion, but the starting point guard was cleared in the afternoon by team doctors and the league. He started and played 42 minutes in the Pacers’ 106-99 Game 6 Eastern Conference semifinal elimination of the Knicks.
“I was very excited,” Hill said.
So were the Pacers.
“He’s one of our better players and he can do a lot, but on this team, he’s the glue,” said Donnie Walsh, Pacers president of basketball operations.
“I found out around 12 or 1 o’clock that I was cleared by the NBA to go out. I had a lot of tests that I had to do last night and this morning,” said Hill who scored 12 points, dished out four assists and steadied the Pacers offense — they had just nine turnovers after 19 in Game 5. “This was a game I couldn’t miss.”, and I couldn’t wait to get out there with my teammates and just try to help them win.”