Paul George had the sweetest of nights in Utah
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The Los Angeles Clippers were dealt some really rough news on Wednesday when it was announced that Kawhi Leonard would be out indefinitely with a knee injury.
That came just a few hours before their pivotal Game 5 with the Jazz in Utah that would give the winner a 3-2 series lead and some comfort heading into Game 6.
The Clippers were left for dead by lots of NBA fans after the Leonard news hit. Going into a raucous environment at Utah without one of the best players in the league didn’t seem to be ideal for a team and a franchise that has grown used to disappointing postseason performances.
But then Paul George went back to being “Playoff P,” put his team on his back, and led LA to a 119-111 win in front of a stunned crowd of just over 18,000 fans at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City.
Man, it must have been fun for him to shut all of those people up.
George finished the night with 37 points, 16 rebounds (a career playoff hight), and five assists in 40 minutes. He became just the second player in the playoffs this year to have over 35 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 assists in a game, joining Kevin Durant, who did it the night before in a beautiful performance.
George did all that while having the packed crowd jeering him all night long. Utah fans haven’t liked him since he was with Oklahoma City back in 2018 and they didn’t like him last night.
Which must have made it all the more fun for George, who easily had his best game as a member of the Clippers.
He said afterward:
“It was no secret – I knew I had to be big tonight and got to be big going forward.”
And big he was.
Now the Clippers head back to LA for Game 6 on Friday. A win gets them to their first-ever Western Conference Final, which is nuts.
And while Kawhi likely won’t be in the lineup for that one, Playoff P will and it looks like he’s ready to take over.
Quick hits: Hawks roast the Sixers with savage tweets… NBA fans crush the Sixers… Why U.S. swimmer raced by himself… And more.
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
– The Hawks rallied from 26-points down to beat the Sixers and then the team’s social media team had some fun at Philly’s expense.
– NBA fans crushed the Sixers, too.
– Michelle Martinelli explained why swimmer Jake Mitchell raced by himself at the trials for a shot at the Olympic team.
– Charles McDonald looks at five NFL teams that could make the playoffs after missing out on the postseason last year.
– The Morning Win will be off tomorrow but be sure to check out our friends at Golfweek, who will have all the great coverage from what should be a very fun U.S. Open.