Oklahoma City Thunder guard George Hill will be out for at least four weeks after undergoing what the team called a “minor procedure” on his injured thumb.
Hill suffered a mallet finger injury on the thumb of his shooting hand, the team announced Tuesday. This injury occurs when the tended that straightens the finger is damaged, according to the American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Known as a “baseball finger,” it typically happens when an object or ball hits the tip of the finger and bends it.
Hill injured it during the game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Jan. 24, head coach Mark Daigneault said.
The Oklahoman reported that the procedure was a surgery. Hill will be reevaluated in four weeks.
“It was an injury that if you splint it on the finger guys can play with it, but it was on his thumb ,” Daigneault said. “It impacts the ability to grip the basketball, and it was also on his shooting hand, it was on his right hand. He did try a splint. He looked at some different things.”
Over 14 appearances, Hill is averaging 11.8 points and 3.1 assist per game. He is shooting 50.8% from the field an 38.6% from 3.
This is his first season with the Thunder. He was acquired in the trade that sent Steven Adams to the New Orleans Pelicans.
Rookie guard Theo Maledon has started the last four games for the Thunder in Hill’s absence.
