Paul George surprisingly ended his press conference with two thumbs up. In what turned out to be a surprising defeat, the LA Clippers look like they are still optimistic.
Kawhi Leonard had 36 points and Paul George had 26 points, but it still wasn’t enough. The problem was that the team overall wasn’t efficient. Overall, they shot 42.0 percent from the field and 38.1 percent from three. Paul George was the one that provided the team motivation while they are looking for answers for the loss.
Paul George said this about the loss:
“We gave them a little bit of life, and they played desperation ball. They didn’t have a choice. They played desperation ball. Credit them for not wanting to go home. They played great down the stretch. We just had to match it. But like I said, it all comes down to our approach Game 6.”
LA has proved to be able to beat when you can force them to miss their shots. They do not have any reliable three-point shooters and if George and Leonard aren’t efficient then that throws off the whole team.
Putting more of an emphasis on playmaking from the two stars will help ease their problems. The Clippers, while bitter sweet, will have another opportunity to close out.
“We’re in the driver’s seat,” George said. “We had them where we wanted them. Again we should have put them away. They came back, they won a game, and it just comes down to Game 6.”
The LA Clippers and Paul George have a big time matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Lakers won’t be forgiving when the Clippers miss opportunities. They will win this series but it is still a disappointment that they were not able to come out on top.
