INDIANAPOLIS -- Less than two hours to go before tip-off of their Game 6 matchup against the Indiana Pacers, Cleveland Cavaliers starting point guard George Hill could be seen warming up on the court of Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
Hill, however, will not in fact be making his return to the Cavs lineup, as he was later ruled out for Friday night's game.
Game 6 will mark the third straight contest Hill has missed this series due to back spasms. The Indianapolis native initially suffered the injury on a screen by Indiana forward Trevor Booker in Game 1 and managed to play in the next two games, before his back locked up on him in the second half of Game 3.
According to Yahoo's Shams Charania, an MRI on Hill's back showed no serious damage.
Despite Hill's absence, the Cavs managed to win both Games 4 and 5 to take a 3-2 series lead over Indiana. Friday night marks their first opportunity to close the series and advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals, where they'll meet the winner of the ongoing series between the Toronto Raptors and Washington Wizards.
In 24 regular season games with Cleveland, Hill averaged 9.4 points and 2.8 assists. The 9th-year veteran has a strong showing in Game 3, scoring 13 points -- 11 of which came in the first half -- before being sidelined due to his injury.
Tip-off for Game 6 between the Cavs and Pacers is scheduled for 8 p.m. For all the latest from Indianapolis throughout the night, follow our live blog and join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #3Cavs.
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