Paul George, LA Clippers Survive a Thriller Against the OKC Thunder, 90-88

The LA Clippers survived a thriller against the Oklahoma City Thunder this Monday night. Doc Rivers’ boys defeated the guests 90-88, in a highly intense contest, which amused the fans who had the luck to see it. It was Paul George who solved this one, hitting a game-winner three with 25.9 seconds to go.

“There are the games that we want… The ones that we gotta grind to get a win. These are the games that will be the best simulation for late in the year,” George explained the intensity of tonight’s contest during the on-court interview.

But his shot was just one moment in the fantastic ending of this game.

PAUL GEORGE FOR THE WIN! 👌 pic.twitter.com/70Z1EE5ksI

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) November 19, 2019

Chris Paul was especially inspired, and arguably the best point guard in Clippers’ history wanted to take matters into his hands in the final moments of the match. At first, he stole the ball from Paul George and then drew a foul from the same guy several seconds later. CP3 sunk both of his free throws, to give his team an 88-86 advantage.

However, George instantly replied with a go-ahead three-pointer at 25.9 seconds until the end. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a chance to drill one three and shock his former fans, but he missed with Danilo Gallinari getting the offensive rebound, and headed towards the basket.

The officials called for a foul on the Italian, but Doc Rivers challenged the call with 7.3 seconds, and the refs overturned their decision.

“I’m changing my opinion,” Rivers, who was a great opponent of the challenege rule, said. “I think the challenge is good for the league, after all.”

Gallinari once again had a chance to solve the game, but his pull-up jumper was inaccurate, and the ball ended in Paul George’s possession.

The drama was over, and we can say that the fans got their money worth for this one.

This was a tough game in which neither of the sides had a notable lead or made a big run. For some of the guys on the court, it was more than just a regular season-game, resulting in tight defenses and the massive battle for each possession.

“I think D (defense) is the reason we won it today,” said George who made an immediate impact on Clippers‘ performances since he recovered from an injury.

And there were plenty of reasons to see such a show. These two sides had big trade during the offseason, which saw a lot of players moving from LA to Oklahoma City. Danilo Gallinari, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, with the addition of one former Clipper, Chris Paul, had a colossal motive coming into this clash, to prove their worth and take down the previous team.

It is why guests approached this clash so seriously, making it look far more important than it really is. For them, it was maybe the most significant game of the season so far. They managed to limit the hosts to just 90 points, and 40.2% from the field, but on the other side, OKC was even worse, with 37.3%.

“The numbers say our offense is great, I think it’s been up and down. It was nice to be able to have the defense keep us in the game until the offense can catch up,” Rivers told following the game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR9TjxhB5HM

Paul had 22 points, four rebounds and assists apiece, while Gallinari added 14 buckets, shooting 3 for 13 from the field. Dennis Schroeder delivered 12 off the bench, while Gilgeous-Alexander had 11. Steven Adams scored 9 and grabbed 10 boards.

For the hosts, George finished with 18 points and 7 boards. His three-pointer wouldn’t be possible without Montrezl Harrell, who was absolutely unstoppable for the OKC’s defense. The big guy had 28 points and 12 boards, with 5 assists, shooting 13 for 20 from the game. Ivica Zubac also posted a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, while Lou Williams had 11 buckets.

Kawhi Leonard didn’t play this one also.

The Clippers (9-5) have two massive games coming up, both at home. The first is again the Boston Celtics this Wednesday, and after that, versus the Houston Rockets on Friday.

Meanwhile, OKC (5-8) has back-to-back challenges with the Lakers, the first one already tomorrow here at the Staples Center.