The live NBA Playoffs action continues on Sky Sports on Thursday night as the Brooklyn Nets look to finish the series with the Milwaukee Bucks, live on Sky Sports Arena from 1.30am.
Thursday 17 June 2021 09:48, UK
Few players have been subject to more derision over a nickname in NBA history than Paul George has for "Playoff P".
Since giving himself the nickname before Oklahoma City faced Utah in the 2018 postseason, George has endured numerous postseason struggles and been taunted with many memes and disrespectful comments.
But he appears to be laying those demons to rest this season and delivered an outstanding performance, with 37 points, a playoff career-high 16 rebounds and five assists, as well as one steal and two blocks, in leading the Clippers to a 119-111 win over, ironically, the Utah Jazz.
And he did all of that without the help of the Clippers' other superstar Kawhi Leonard, who sat out with a right knee injury.
Many thought the Clippers stood no chance against the top-seeded Jazz without the two-time NBA Finals MVP, but George was magnificent on both ends. He shot 12-of-22 overall, with just one of his field goal attempts going uncontested (ESPN stats). His pesky defense also troubled the Jazz's shooters and forced turnovers as he embraced the role of being his team's primary defender in Leonard's absence.
And it's the latest in a string of eye-catching performances. George has scored 30 or more points in three straight games and joined Brooklyn's Kevin Durant as the only two players to have at least 35 points, 15 rebounds and five assists in a game this postseason.
George has the Clippers just one win away from reaching the franchise's first-ever Western Conference finals and finally looks to be stepping up to the plate in the NBA Playoffs.
Afterwards, when asked if this is what 'Playoff P' looks like, he replied with a smile.
"Sure," George said. "It was no secret. I knew I had to be big tonight and (have) got to be big going forward.
"I've been in Indiana, where I had to lead a franchise. The beauty here is I get to do that with one of the best in the world in Kawhi. Now Kawhi is down. It was just that mindset being back in Indy having to set the tone and come out and lead a ballclub.
"That's really the mindset I came out with. It was nothing that I had to prove. It was nothing that I had to be surprised about myself. I just dug into a place that I've been already in my career, and it just came down to trust. Everybody just allowed me to lead and they kept pushing me. They just kept me into a great mental space."
And it's clear he's relishing the opportunity to step up.
Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue said George reassured him before the morning shootaround on Wednesday, "T, I got us."
Lue said: "I have a lot of respect for PG. 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. You know, just keep playing. Keep being who you are, and at the end of the day, you know, you can live with the results."
And Clippers point guard Reggie Jackson, who finished with 22 points, has been left in awe at how George has stepped up in recent games as well.
He said: "He's incredible. Paul is special. You're going to have the naysayers and critics, but that's what you love about this game. You just have to try to put it behind you.
"He was ready to put the team on his back to carry extra weight, and he showed up and proved why he's one of the best players in this league and why he's been incredible for us when we had him for the entire season. He just kept playing with conviction."
Lue said the Clippers are awaiting results from further tests to see what the timetable is for Leonard's recovery. Leonard originally flew to Salt Lake City with the team before returning to Los Angeles.
The structural integrity of Leonard's knee has yet to be fully determined, a source told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team has not offered any specific diagnosis other than sprain. A sprain, by definition, is a ligament injury, though the Clippers have not said which of the four knee ligaments is the cause for concern.
If the injury does sideline Leonard for a substantial amount of time, then the Clippers will need to see more of the real 'Playoff P' to stand any chance of contending.
