When Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said abiding by Paul George’s minutes restriction and sitting him for the end of the fourth quarter Sunday was the best call, he was taking the lengthy view.
Within the brief term, nonetheless, the choice saved George, who had scored 12 of his team-high 34 points in the course of the fourth quarter, off the court for the final 2 minutes 50 seconds of a 112-108 loss to Brooklyn.
George scored seven points within the two minutes earlier than being pulled, having clocked 33 minutes.
Lue appeared annoyed whereas confirming {that a} minutes restriction had led to the choice to take away George, who was playing his second recreation in three days since coming back from a toe damage that cost him his earlier seven video games.
“He played good to get us back in it, and then it’s a tough decision,” Lue said. “The biggest thing is the player’s health. We did what we could but it is what it is.”
Requested how troublesome it was to look at on the end, George replied, “I think you know the answer to that.”
Highlights from the Clippers’ 112-108 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.
George, who additionally completed with seven assists, six rebounds and 6 turnovers, performed your complete fourth quarter earlier than being pulled as a result of dealing with a 10-point Brooklyn lead getting into the final quarter, Lue felt the team wanted his scoring to get again within the recreation whereas teammate Kawhi Leonard caught his breath. The Clippers trailed by six when he checked out and reached a tie with 28 seconds to play earlier than a tip-in by Nets center DeAndre Jordan and an offensive foul call determined the sport.
“PG did what PG does,” center Ivica Zubac said. “He is an All-Star player. He is a great two-way player. He did exactly what we expect him to do.”
In a victory towards Western Convention-leading Utah two days earlier, George’s first recreation in more than two weeks, he performed 27 minutes and said his conditioning wasn’t where it wanted to be to play for much longer than that; he has averaged 34 minutes per recreation this season. Sunday, nonetheless, he referred to as himself “good to go” and any lingering ache “an afterthought.”
“I was ready to go,” George said. “I wanted to keep going.”
He later added he didn’t know how lengthy he would wish to play under a minutes restriction.
