For the first time in months, Paul George spoke for the Los Angeles Clippers Tuesday night.
His presence was clearly needed.
George dropped 34 points on his return for the Clippers in their wild 121-115 comeback win over the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night – which broke a five-game worse. It was George’s first game in more than three months after tearing the UCL in his right elbow.
“Just having an idol like Kobe Bryant that you know plays through things like that and I always hold myself to a high standard,” George said on TNT. “At the end of the day, when I’m done, I want to look back on my career and say I gave everything I had. I wanted to help my boys, I didn’t want to leave them hanging out here for the rest of the season. I felt good so it was only right to come back.”
George was supposed to have a minute limit but he clearly played way longer than planned. George averaged a team-high 34 points with six assists while shooting 10 of 20 from the field and 6 of 9 from behind the arc. 20 of his points came in the third quarter alone, which took them out of a 25-point hole and right back into the game.
The Clippers then capitalized on a tremendous 13-0 run late in the fourth quarter to take their first lead of the game with less than four minutes to go. They then held the Clippers to just six points and finished on a 34-12 run en route to the six-point win.
Donovan Mitchell led the Jazz with 33 points and six assists, and Mike Conley added 19 points. The Jazz have now lost their last five games and went 1-5 on their six-game road trip.
Reggie Jackson added 21 points for the Clippers, and Luke Kennard scored 17 points off the bench while shooting 4-of-7 from the 3-point line.
George missed five games in early December after spraining a ligament in his right elbow. The 31-year-old returned just before Christmas but was then ruled out after tearing his UCL.
The Clippers announced at the time that George would only be out for three to four weeks. However, this dragged on for more than three months. George returned to training at full capacity for the first time last week.
The story goes on
George came into Tuesday’s game averaging 24.7 points and 7.1 rebounds per game so far this season, his third with the team.
The Clippers have just six games left in the regular season and are eighth in Western Conference standings. While George’s return may not get them out of post-season play-in, it can greatly improve their chances of a meaningful run in the playoffs — especially if he plays like he did in Tuesday night’s second half.
Paul George dropped 34 points Tuesday night in his first game in more than three months. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)