Not only did Paul George’s beating tone recently limit his actions in court, but the LA Clippers guard could feel it was dragging him down mentally.
The All-Star thus restored his mentality, and the result was the best week plus the season for him and the Clippers.
“The injury enabled me to make an apology to myself,” George said Tuesday. “But then I put it in perspective … if I’m going to play, it should not limit me.”
“I feel like I had a breakthrough because of that mindset.”
In his most recent return to Indiana, George delivered 36 points, eight assists and seven rebounds to beat the Clippers 126-115 over the Pacers on Tuesday.
The Clippers (38-18) have won their sixth consecutive game, despite not having Kawhi Leonard (sore right foot) in the last two wins. George bore the burden. It was the fourth consecutive game that George scored 30 or more points, tied for the second longest series in his All Star career.
“He’s definitely in a groove,” said Marcus Morris Sr., Clippers. “He’s playing with a chip on his shoulder.”
“He emphasizes that he really needs to take over the best version of himself.”
George inspired this season to make it a comeback season, after his shootout ended last season with a 4-for-16 dud in Game 7. . He started the season playing like a man on a mission before a counter-injury sidelined him for seven games in early February.
He returned, but the injury flared up again. He may have to play with the injury for the rest of the season. Prior to his current split in four games, George has only scored 30 or more points once in the previous 15 games.
But now George has regained the form of having a career high of 47.7% from the field and 43.8% from behind the arc from Tuesday. Not only did the guard learn how to handle and play with the tone issue, but he thrives again after winning the Western Conference Player of the Week with honors.
Last Tuesday, George scored 36 points against Portland and Damian Lillard, with whom he exchanged words after a game in the bubble last year. Then on Thursday he dropped 33 points and seven rebounds against the Phoenix Suns and Devin Booker – another player with whom he exchanged words during a game earlier in the season. After George had a game against Houston for rest, he remained red-hot on Sunday with 32 points, nine assistants and a large poster with one hand over Isaiah Stewart.
And George usually saves his best for his former team, averaging 25.9 points per game in seven career games against the Pacers – the most against any opponent, according to research by ESPN Stats and Information. He delivered vintage highlights such as a double-clutch two-handed baseline dunk, stopping on a double and hitting rebounds, scoring four tries and giving two perfect lanes to Terance Mann, who helped put the Pacers on a to keep distance. the fourth.
George said he had a twist in his toes again, and it shows.
“It hasn’t flared up yet, so it worked,” George said of his treatment plan. “And hopefully at some point it just goes away and it’s an afterthought, nothing I’m worried about going forward.