Hill Must Be 100 Percent To Play Game 3

[duncan228]

http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/PaulCoro/22260

Hill must be 100 percent

Suns forward Grant Hill sat out of Thursday's practice and will be out for Friday's Game 3 too if he is not at 100 percent.

Hill underwent a precautionary magnetic resonance imaging exam Thursday morning on the muscle strain that has limited his effectiveness this playoff series.

The injury has been officially called a groin strain but Hill's pain feels more like an abdominal strain. He was scoreless in Game 2 and has played tentatively in both games, taking only five shots in the losses. His status for Game 3 is questionable at best, based on the MRI results and how he feels and looks at Friday morning's shootaround.

"Don't go out there if you can't be you," Suns coach MIke D'Antoni told Hill before Game 2.

Hill said he tricked himself into being able to play.

"I don't think I've been able to be myself the past two games," Hill said Thursday. "Just the movement, the running, the activity. Not necessarily the scoring but the movement stuff. I've been laboring up and down the court."

D'Antoni said Hill will not play Game 3 if he is not at full speed.

"If he's healthy enough to really exert himself and run and really play the way he can, then he'll play," Suns General Manager Steve Kerr said. "If not, he won't play. He has to determine that. We have to determine that as a group. He wasn't right the first two games. Grant is such a competitor and a gamer that he really wanted to play."

If Hill does not start, Leandro Barbosa would. Phoenix was 10-2 this season with Barbosa starting and Barbosa, who needs a lift, has been a better player as a start with 53 percent shooting and 21 points per game.

[Ronaldo McDonald]

If I'm the Suns, I trade leandro this summer. He's a big reason they can't ever beat the Spurs.

[duncan228]

http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/PaulCoro/22284

Hill MRI results

Thursday's magnetic resonance imaging exam on forward Grant Hill revealed about what the Suns medical staff was expecting -- no tears, some inflammation.

A decision on Hill's Game 3 status will still be made Friday but it does not sound like he will play.

"I think he needs to feel a lot better than what he's felt," Suns General Manager Steve Kerr said. "Grant's such a competitor. He wants to play. He's dying to play. But if he can't do more than what he's been capable of the first two games, he's doubtful."

[remingtonbo2001]

I think the Suns can be effective without Hill for Game 3.

It might give them an opportunity to throw a different game plan at the Spurs.

[Bob Lanier]

"Hill To Miss Game 3" would probably be a more apt title, then.

[duncan228]

"Hill To Miss Game 3" would probably be a more apt title, then.

I titled the thread based on the title of the first article. The MRI results just came out.

[tp2021]

let them bench hill and start barbosa. i want them to throw their best punch at us. i want all possible sunsfan excuses to be put to rest. GO SPURS GO!