Former Pacer Paul George Scores 37, Helps Short-Handed Clippers Beat Jazz
The season was on the line for the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, and it was easy to fall into panic mode after it was clear that All-NBA forward Kawhi Leonard wasn't going to be available.
Paul George, the former Indiana Pacers All-Star, had four simple words for his concerned coach, Tyronn Lue.
“T, I got you,” George said simply.
He did exactly that, scoring 37 points and grabbing 16 rebounds in a huge 119-111 win over the top-seeded Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City, giving the Clippers a 3-2 in the series with their third straight win.
George and the Clippers get a chance to close out the series at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Friday night. They'll probably have to do that without Leonard once again, too, since he's dealing with an apparent ACL sprain according to reports and may miss the rest of the series.
That didn't matter to George on Wednesday night, carrying his team on his back. He attacked the basket all night, going 12-for-22 from the field and making 10-of-11 free throws.
They needed him, in a big way, and he deliverd.
"It was no secret. I knew I had to be big tonight and I've got to be big going forward," George said.,
George's numbers were historic. He's the first Clipper in franchise history to put up 35-plus points, 15-plus rebounds and five assists in a playoff game, and this year, only Brooklyn's Kevin Durant has had such a big night.
“I thought this was our toughest matchup this postseason, especially being down our best player,'' George said.
George played seven seasons with the Pacers from 2010 to 2017 before demanding a trade. He played two seasons at Oklahoma City, and is now in his second year with the Clippers. He's been criticized for disappearing in the playoffs at times, but that certainly wasn't the case Wednesday.
"I have a lot of respect for PG," Lue said. "You can't judge a guy's career off what they do off one series. I know a lot of great players that have bad series or a bad game or a bad two games in a series, but whenever he has a bad game, they want to make a big deal of it. It's whatever.
I tell him, just keep playing. Keep being who you are, and at the end of the day, you know, you can live with the results."
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