George Hill played extremely well for the Indiana Pacers in giving them their 2-0 NBA Eastern Conference quarterfinal series lead over the Atlanta Hawks. But a poor third game by Hill displayed how much the Pacers need him to be more consistent if they’re going to win this series.
In the first game, he was 7-of-10 from the floor and 3-of-4 in 3-pointers for 18 points and played 37 solid minutes. He was just as effective in the second game with 7-of-12 shooting from the floor and 4-of-7 in threes for 22 points and two steals.
That was enough to help the Pacers take control of the series. It appeared they were ready for the next round
But he struggled, as did the rest of his team, in game 3. Hill saw 30 minutes of action and was 1-of-8 from the floor for three points. His game set the tone for the entire team. The Pacers shot 22-of-81 from the from for 27.2 percent in the 90-69 loss.
Obviously, that has to be the Pacers’ worse game of the series and they can’t have another close to it if they’re going to advance. It also has to be Hill’s worst game for the rest of his life if the Pacers are to remain competitive. Their performance in Game 3 put the Hawks back in the series and makes the Pacers more vulnerable than they have been.
It’s puzzling when a player like Hill does everything right for two games and nothing right for the third game. But he needs to figure out what he’s doing in a hurry.
