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Paul George: Clippers star whining after loss to Nets is music to BK fans’ ears

ByMike Luciano|
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 02: Paul George #13 of the LA Clippers drives toward the basket as Bruce Brown #1 of the Brooklyn Nets defends (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 02: Paul George #13 of the LA Clippers drives toward the basket as Bruce Brown #1 of the Brooklyn Nets defends (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

Once again, the über-talented trio of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden led the Brooklyn Nets to a win on national television against one of the best teams in the league. After their crushing loss against Washington, Steve Nash rebounded and helped Brooklyn take down Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and a Los Angeles Clippers team that could win the Western Conference.

Rather than offer up the usual bland postgame quotes after such a hard loss, George immediately found ways to complain about the disparity in foul calls that were assigned to the Clippers, as he only attempted one free throw in the entire 124-120 loss.

George’s postgame hissy fit hinted that the refs handed this game to the Nets, claiming that he “initiated or created contact” on a handful of plays, yet was only sent to the foul line one time. George didn’t play terribly, but immediately getting on his soapbox after the game is not a very good look.

Paul George should take the L after losing to the Brooklyn Nets

George scored 26 points, including a couple of clutch shots late, while Leonard totaled 33 points on 12-of-24 shooting and Nic Batum chipped in with 21. That combination would be deadly enough to take down most NBA teams. However, most NBA teams don’t have three scorers the caliber of Durant, Irving and Harden.

Irving led all scorers with 39 points on 15-of-23 shooting and 6-of-8 from 3-point range, while KD made 11 of his 13 shots and finished with 28 points. Harden recorded his fourth triple-double with the Nets, scoring 23 points while pulling down 11 rebounds and totaling 14 assists. Combining for 90 points had George fuming, as the Clippers once again faded when on national TV.

George has only himself to blame for this performance. He spent most of the evening hanging out by the 3-point line instead of trying to go after Brooklyn’s much-maligned interior defense. Perhaps if George was a touch more aggressive, the Clippers could’ve carved out another win and fended off the always dangerous Los Angeles Lakers and Utah Jazz.

The Nets didn’t just win because George was too tentative on the offensive end, however. They were able to get some stops when it counted and lean on their three stars when it came time to hit some clutch shots of their own. While it remains to be seen how sustainable this formula can be, this style has been proven to work against some of the best teams in the entire league.