LA Clippers star wing Paul George came up big against his former team, the OKC Thunder, on Tuesday. George recorded a season-high 38 points on 62.5% shooting, including 18 points in the fourth quarter, as LA secured a 128-117 statement victory. The eight-time All-Star’s dominant performance had Clippers fans raving about his impact.
On top of his 38 points, George tallied seven rebounds, five assists, three steals and six 3-pointers.
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Meanwhile, no other player scored more than 25 points in the game, including Thunder superstar point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Gilgeous-Alexander, who entered Tuesday averaging 31.3 points per game on 55.6% shooting through 38 games, scored just 19 points on 37.5% shooting.
Notably, LA traded Gilgeous-Alexander for George in its 2019 blockbuster deal with OKC. The trade also involved the Clippers giving up five first-round picks and two pick swaps alongside the then-future star.
Given Gilgeous-Alexander’s superstar trajectory over the past few years, most agree that LA lost the deal. However, George’s latest performance against OKC had Clippers fans thinking otherwise.
After the game, many fans took to X, formerly Twitter, to proclaim LA the winner of the George trade.
“WHO LOST THE TRADE, B**CH?” one fan said.
“We won the trade,” another said.
Meanwhile, others praised George for carrying the Clippers to victory.
“Put the whole team on his back the entire fourth quarter. What a performance,” one fan said.
“He was hooping and owned the Thunder,” another said.
Below are a few more of the top fan reactions to George’s big night against his former team:
Also Read: “You’re my twin”: Clippers’ star Paul George gives his look-alike fan ‘George Paul’ sweet shout-out on podcast
Paul George, LA Clippers move within 2.5 games of Western Conference’s first seed
Tuesday’s win marked Paul George and the Clippers’ 17th in their last 21 games, continuing their surge up the Western Conference standings.
Following the game, LA (26-14, fourth in the West) sits just 2.5 games behind the first-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves (28-11). Additionally, the Clippers moved within one game of the second-seeded Thunder (27-13).
Behind their star trio of George, Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, the Clippers boast one of the NBA’s most lethal offenses. Through 40 games, they rank sixth in offensive rating (119.4) and continue to climb up the rankings.
So, midway through the season, most would agree that LA’s early-season Harden trade has been a smashing success.
After Tuesday’s win, the Clippers will have a few days off before they host the Brooklyn Nets (16-23) on Sunday.
The Thunder, on the other hand, will look to bounce back from their two-game losing streak on the road against the streaking Utah Jazz (22-20) on Thursday. The Jazz have won a league-best six straight games.
Also Read: “Everybody’s coming back”: Kawhi Leonard hints Clippers are inclined to re-sign Paul George and James Harden
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Edited by Tristan Rawcliffe