By George!
Monday night featured yet another incredibly encouraging performance from veteran guard George Hill, who has continued his very solid run since returning from injury a couple of weeks ago.
All game long, Hill was great at forcing the issue with the ball in his hands out of pick and roll situations, especially in an effort to break up the Nets’ zone defense. What’s more is that he put down a number of nifty and crafty finishes at the basket to free himself of the Nets’ towering shot blocker Jarrett Allen, including a savvy reverse baseline finish.
While he’s struggled to hone his three-point stroke since coming to Milwaukee, having Hill initiate plays or actions through pick and rolls will surely be a nice weapon to have in the Bucks’ playbook crafted by head coach Mike Budenholzer.
It should also be noted that since returning from injury on March 15, Hill is averaging 8.6 points per game on shooting splits of .500/.227/.923, along with 1.7 assists. Hill’s defense will always make him valuable, but seeing him become a more useful offensive player will only bolster the Bucks’ wealth of options heading into the playoffs.
All in all, Hill matched his season high by putting up 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field (0-of-2 from deep, 6-of-7 from the foul line), three assists, two rebounds, one turnover as well as one steal and was a -1 in just over 27 minutes of burn.
The Bucks will close out their three-game road trip by facing the Philadelphia 76ers for a nationally televised duel Thursday night with a 7pm CT tip off at Wells Fargo Center.