Pacers' Hill could return on current road trip

The bad news for George Hill and the Indiana Pacers is that the point guard remains sidelined by a groin strain, with Saturday's contest against the Charlotte Hornets marking the ninth straight game Hill has missed.

The good news is that head coach Frank Vogel said the team is hopeful Hill will rejoin the lineup at some point on their current road trip.

The Pacers are in Charlotte on Saturday for the first game of a five-game trip that also takes them to Houston, Atlanta, Miami and Orlando, and wraps up on Jan. 25. So it sounds like Hill could be returning within the next week.

Prior to suffering his current injury, Hill had returned to the lineup for only five games after missing the first 28 games with knee and quadriceps injuries. He's averaging 14.2 points, four rebounds and 2.4 assists.