This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Utah Jazz point guard George Hill is on track to make his return tonight against the Denver Nuggets, after missing eight straight games with a sprained thumb.
Hill went through the Jazz's morning shootaround and will be a game-time decision to play, coach Quin Snyder said. But if Hill feels as good this evening as he did this morning, he should be a go.
"It's starting to get a lot better, where [the pain] is not as sharp as it has been," Hill said, though the point guard is still feeling some discomfort. "… Still a little sore. I'm taking it one day a time, trying to figure it out. Yesterday I tried to walk through a little bit, still had a little pain when the ball hit it, things like that, when I'm dribbling."
The Jazz want desperately to avoid causing further injury to their point guard.
"We're going to make sure he's in good shape," Snyder said. "That's why we've waited this long."
Still, Utah needs Hill on the court as soon as possible. The veteran earned Western Conference player of the week honors after a spectacular start to his Jazz career and Utah has struggled mightily, most recently suffering four straight defeats, since Hill went out with the sprain.
— Aaron Falk