SAN ANTONIO -- George Hill received a special order Tuesday night from his favorite local fast food chain Bush's Chicken, but what he'll savor more than the meal is the sweetness of his Utah Jazz's 106-91 victory over the San Antonio Spurs.
Led by Hill's team-high 22 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter, the Jazz snapped a 10-game losing streak at San Antonio dating to the 2009-10 season in a contest featuring two players who were once traded for each another in him and Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard.
"Yeah, that was tough [to trade Hill]," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "I always made the joke with you guys that he was my favorite player. Then I called my favorite player and told him he wasn't here anymore. So that was real tough. But those kinds of trades are the best because it worked out for both teams. It was what Indiana needed, and it was what we needed, and it worked out. A lot of trades, one team will say, 'Oh, we killed them on that trade. We got the better end of that.' That's just childish. It was a good trade for both teams."
A first-round pick of San Antonio in 2008, Hill spent his first three seasons with the Spurs before the organization traded him on draft night in 2011 to the Indiana Pacers for Leonard. San Antonio acquired the draft rights to Leonard -- an unknown commodity at the time -- as well as Davis Bertans and Erazem Lorbek for Hill, in a move viewed with disdain by many of the team's veterans, including Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili.
Leonard developed into an NBA Finals MVP, and two-time Defensive Player of the Year, while Hill joined the Jazz last summer through a trade from the Pacers.
Interestingly, the Jazz brought in Hill to provide experience and a steadying, veteran presence. The Spurs, meanwhile, are counting on the 25-year-old Leonard to lead somewhat of a youth movement in carrying the squad through the post-Duncan era.
"You probably can't value it enough, just having a guy who when he has the ball kind of calms everybody," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said of Hill. "He knows what to say and what to do. I know for me it's terrific to have somebody you can communicate with on the floor and who can relay [the message]."
Leonard and Hill certainly shined brightest among their respective teams, with the former scoring 18 of his game-high 30 points in the opening half. Meanwhile, Hill dished seven assists to go with his team-high 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting.
Before Utah's win Tuesday, the last time it won in San Antonio, Hill started at guard for the Spurs, Antonio McDyess came off the bench, and Jerry Sloan was still serving as the Jazz coach. Had San Antonio captured the win Tuesday, it would have marked the first time Popovich started a season 5-0 with the Spurs.
"As you know, George Hill just got away from all of us," Leonard said. "It's not one man's job [to stop him]. It's the whole team's. Every loss is disappointing to me. It's just disappointing that our defensive effort and energy wasn't there in that first quarter. They were knocking down shots in the fourth quarter, as well. I think they scored 33 points in the fourth quarter and that's not good, either. [Hill] did a good job getting to his shot and getting his teammates involved as well."
Utah built a 16-point lead in the first half, which San Antonio cut to four (54-50) by intermission. San Antonio would take a three-point advantage (63-60) on a Tony Parker layup at the 5:48 mark of the third quarter, but the Jazz quickly made up the ground and the Spurs would never lead again.
Over the last five minutes of the game, Hill poured in eight of the team's final 15 points and mentioned he learned to perform in clutch situations from none other than Popovich.
"Act like you've been there before," Hill said. "Coach Pop always instilled that in me my first three years here. Don't show really that much emotion unless it's part of the game. That's what I try to instill in the guys. It's always special [to play in San Antonio]. You always put extra emphasis to play well here, just because it's where it all started for me. It's very tough to win here, so getting a win today means a lot. But like I said, it was just the next team in our way. We're just trying to focus on each game."
After the contest, however, Hill turned his attention to Popovich to "just tell him I love him like always" as "Pop's been one of the most important people to come into life."
Despite the exit from San Antonio, Hill said he definitely learned to appreciate the organization after joining the Pacers.
"After I went from S.A. to Indiana, I started to feel like, 'Man that's one of the best organizations, how it's ran,' " Hill said. "I think they do a great job keeping this ship afloat, year after year out. They bring in high-quality guys, and it's a system that's pretty dominant in this league. The way Utah is run is kind of similar. But we're at the starting point. [In San Antonio] it's more than just basketball. That's one thing Coach Pop brings to the table. It's not about us coming out every night and playing in front of thousands of fans. It's about being a better guy in the community, being respectful, being a genuine good guy. That's what he tries to develop in his guys before we ever step on the court."