Jazz point guard George Hill will not play Thursday in Game 2 of Utah's playoff series against the Warriors because of a toe injury that has limited him throughout the season.
The Jazz announced Thursday afternoon that Hill is dealing with soreness in his left big toe.
Coach Quin Snyder said Hill has been "fighting" the injury for most of the season but indicated that the Jazz expect their starting point guard to return at some point for their Western Conference semifinal series against the top-seeded Warriors.
Hill struggled in Utah's 106-94 loss in Game 1, scoring just seven points on 3-of-9 shooting.
"You reach a point where it's hard to be effective," Snyder said. "He was battling the same thing in the Clippers series. ... You get to a point where hopefully a few days off will calm it down a little bit. But he's still going to have to fight it."
Hill, 31, missed 13 consecutive games in December because of a sprain to the same toe. Snyder told reporters that Hill did not aggravate the injury during Utah's seven-game first-round series against the Clippers.
"It's very frustrating that he can't play tonight," Jazz star forward Gordon Hayward said. "But at the same time, it is what it is, and we've got to try to move on and step up."
Utah has not named a replacement for Hill in the starting lineup, but Snyder said Shelvin Mack, Raul Neto and Dante Exum all could see increased playing time.
"Obviously it's a big blow," Snyder said. "But we've got guys that have to step up. ... Any time you take your point guard off your team, that's a position that's very difficult to replace on a lot of levels."
Hill averaged a career-high 16.9 points this season -- his first with the Jazz -- but played just 49 games because of various injuries. The Jazz were 18-15 during the regular season when Hill missed games.
"Somebody else has to step up, and they're definitely capable of doing it," Hayward said. "They've done it all year. It's definitely going to be more difficult in the playoffs against a great team. ... The experiences they got from the season when George was out will help them out."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
