Since Kawhi Leonard injured his ACL in Game 4 against the Utah Jazz, Paul George has become the only superstar of the Los Angeles Clippers.
Thanks to the heroic performance of George, Reggie Jackson and Terenceman, they were able to beat the No. 1 seed Jazz in six games and scored a 0-2 game.
For the Clippers, most of their story in the playoffs is a comeback kid. NBA fans have repeatedly stated on social media that there is nothing more dangerous than the “0-2 Clippers” in the Western Conference playoffs.
They lost two games against Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks and Utah against Donovan Mitchell in the first round.
But two games behind will cost the team and those who are expected to dribble most of the time.
In the seven-game series against the Mavericks, “PG13” averaged 23.6 points, 9 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 3.1 turnovers per game.
For George, this seems to be a dominant game, because he showed that he still has the conditions to become a playoff player, but his average playing time in the series is also 40.6 minutes.
The Utah Series did put a lot of demands on the former Indiana Pacers. He increased his scoring average to 29 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1 steal, while averaging 40.8 minutes per game.
It can be said that George fell behind Terenceman’s explosive 39 points in the sixth game, but it is commendable that “PG13” scored close to three with 28 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists in 46 minutes. double.
A few days later, they will face the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference Finals, and the demands on him are even higher.
The Clippers got a rest when Chris Paul accepted the league’s health and safety agreement after contracting the new crown virus.
However, they could not use their capital and fell behind 0-2 in the first two games.
The Clippers seemed to put it in the bag in the second game, but “Valley-Oop” blocked the way.
Another story in the second game is that George made two free throws, which could have given the Clippers a three-point lead, which means that the Suns must make a three-pointer to drag the game into overtime.
Whether it can be attributed to the general fatigue of digging himself out of a hole in the previous series, his mistakes won the game for Phoenix.
George Become the subject of memes It was even called “Polyester P” by Shannon Sharpe of ESPN because it “shrunk” in the playoffs.
But he bounced back with a better performance in the third victory, scoring 27 points and 15 rebounds in 43 minutes.
June 22: Control the ball around Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns during the fourth quarter in Game 2 of the NBA Western Conference Finals in Phoenix, Arizona on June 22, 2021.
Photo: Christian Peterson/Photo by Getty Images
In the fourth quarter of the fourth game, the Clippers took the lead and George hit a jumper to get them back by one point. Then came the worst fourth quarter in recent memory.
Phoenix missed seven consecutive shots The Clippers missed eight of their own.
George himself had a terrible single quarter performance. He shot 1 of 7 from the field and ended the night with 5 of 20 shots.
After the game, George commented on his performance and the team’s performance: “We just want to make breakthroughs through the game and play faster. It is very difficult to make it fall.
Obviously, no one on the Clippers would admit to being tired, but this showed in their games.
As a team, the Clippers shot 32.5% from the field and lost the game 84-80.
Head coach Teren Lue was asked if he had The Clippers feel a little tired And said: “It may be. But at this time of the season, this is not an excuse. The buddies may be a little tired. We have to fight to the end.”
George and the Clippers will look forward to a comeback with the Phoenix 3-1 behind the Suns on Monday, June 28, at 9 p.m. Eastern Time.
