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SALT LAKE CITY -- Recovering from a sprained toe has not been a simple thing for George Hill. The Utah Jazz point guard ended up being sidelined for nearly a month while dealing with his latest injury.
When Hill returned to the starting lineup against Philadelphia on Thursday, he could feel the effects of being out of action. Hill admitted to feeling a little rusty and lacking some of his usual stamina while running the offense.
Still, Hill was determined to not let it impede his progress. And he convinced Jazz coach Quin Snyder to let him play through any limitations caused by his still-healing toe.
"I told him when that game's on the line, I want to be in there," Hill said. "Just the competitive side kicks in and you worry about the rest later."
Hill's competitive fire benefited Utah once again in a 100-83 victory over the Sixers. He flexed his muscles on offense in the fourth quarter - scoring critical baskets and setting up others. Hill finished with 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting, eight rebounds and six assists.
Hill's presence is a steadying influence for a Jazz team that struggled to close out games in the fourth quarter during his absence.
"He played well in his first game back, especially there down towards the end of the game," forward Gordon Hayward said. "(Hill) kind of controlled it there on the offensive end for us. Can't say enough about his defensive play, too. His length and activity on the ball against other point guards is really helpful for us. It was great to have him back."
Having Hill back at the controls will give Utah a boost when Phoenix makes a return trip to Salt Lake City on Saturday. The Jazz hosted the Suns on Dec. 6 and never trailed in a 112-105 victory. Utah nearly fell victim to a furious Phoenix rally after blowing a 23-point lead in the fourth quarter.
The Suns come to Utah on a high note after holding Toronto to a season-low in points in a 99-91 win over the Raptors on Thursday. Phoenix held Toronto to just 40 percent shooting from the field. It was just the fourth time that the Suns held an opponent under 100 points this season.
Suns coach Earl Watson praised his defense's aggressiveness in snapping a two-game losing streak. It's something he wants to turn into a team trademark.
"Our thing is, let's be the first one to hit," Watson said. "Let's come out, be the aggressors, and let them try to counteract us. It was a great lesson to impose our will defensively."
Better defense will serve to make Eric Bledsoe and Devin Booker even more dangerous on offense.
Booker has averaged 20.4 points over his last seven games and is scoring 18.8 points per game for the whole season. It is the most by a second-year Phoenix player since Amar'e Stoudemire averaged 20.6 points per game in the 2003-04 season.
Bledsoe is one of five NBA players averaging at least 19 points, five rebounds and five assists per game this season. He is chipping in 20.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists in 33 games. The last Suns player to average 19/5/5 in a season was Charles Barkley in 1992-93.
