Clippers vs. Thunder: Paul George's monster 38-point performance leads LA to victory

LOS ANGELES - The final minutes of the Oklahoma City matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers at the Crypto.com arena in downtown LA was a nail-biter, with the Clippers up 117-115 with three minutes left on the clock. It was a battle, and in the end, the Clippers came out victorious and were led by a thunderous performance by Paul George, who finished the game with 38 points, marking a season-high for the All-Star. 

For Clipper Nation, any matchup against Oklahoma City is often met with the thought of "what could’ve been" after the blockbuster trade of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for Paul George. It wasn’t just for Gilgeous-Alexander, but the trade also included Danilo Gallinari, five first-round picks and two swaps.

When the two teams met earlier this season on Dec. 21, it was a rough night for Los Angeles who lost by 19 points. The Clippers were without Kawhi Leonard, and they simply didn’t have the juice to compete with the young and hungry Thunder. 

Fast-forward to Tuesday night, both teams continue to thrive and make for strong contenders in the Western Conference with the pivotal All-Star break just weeks away. 

On Monday night, it was revealed Clippers center Ivica Zubac was out due to a right calf strain. In an update and hours before tip-off, the Clippers announced he would be out for the foreseeable future and would be reevaluated in four weeks. 

Zubac had been crucial on both ends of the floor, averaging 27 minutes a game with a field goal percentage of 65. 

Clippers head coach Ty Lue told reporters before the game Mason Plumlee would start in Zubac’s place. 

"We just have to adjust," Lue said, adding that Plumlee and Daniel Theis would be taking on larger roles in Zubac’s absence.

The Clippers came out with power and wasted no time getting to work, ending the quarter up 35-30. This included 8 points from Leonard and 6 from Plumlee.  On the other end, Jalen Williams and Gilgeous-Alexander were off to strong starts, with 7 and 6 points, respectively. 

Tuesday also marked a monumental night for Harden and George. Harden surpassed Reggie Miller and slid up to 22nd place on the NBA’s all-time points list with his 25,280th career point. Meanwhile, Paul George surpassed Paul Pierce with his 2,144th three-pointer. Both records were set in the second quarter as the Clippers ended the first half up 65-61.

As the game progressed, Oklahoma City simply had no answer for the red-hot Clippers, who had a season-high 20 threes, winning 128-117.

On Tuesday night, both teams kept their standings in the Western Conference, with the Thunder holding onto second place and the Clippers in fourth. 

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