INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Paul George heard astir it successful his return to Los Angeles connected Wednesday nighttime for nan first clip since leaving nan Clippers past summertime for nan Philadelphia 76ers.
Fans booed George erstwhile he was introduced astatine Intuit Dome, nan Clippers’ caller arena that seats 18,000 but drew announced attendance of 15,627. They sewage vocal each clip he touched nan shot passim nan game. Early on, he responded by hitting back-to-back 3-pointers.
“Boo him coming and emotion him afterwards,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said earlier nan game.
George had 18 points connected 7 of 9 shooting and 7 rebounds successful 24 minutes successful the 110-98 loss. The Sixers fell to 1-6.
“He was getting a batch of attention, tons of double-teams,” Sixers coach Nick Nurse said. “He had immoderate bully buckets and played immoderate beautiful bully defense astatine times arsenic well, but again, he's still moving his measurement backmost conditioning-wise.”
George was playing conscionable his 2nd crippled of nan play aft a near knee wounded kept him out. He scored 15 points successful 32 minutes of nan Sixers' 118-116 nonaccomplishment astatine Phoenix connected Monday.
“They’re throwing a batch of worldly astatine maine that I’m rather not fresh for astatine this infinitesimal because I’m still conscionable trying to get backmost healthy,” George said. “I'll beryllium better. I’ll put nan activity successful but it is simply a unsmooth patch.”
Late successful nan first quarter, nan Clippers played a George tribute video connected nan elephantine halo committee supra nan court. He waved to admit nan polite applause.
“Any clip I tried to fastener successful and get prepared I look complete and spot personification I knew,” he said. “Instantly it took maine retired of that mindset of getting prepared and past I tried to fastener backmost successful and there’s different person.”
In 5 seasons pinch nan Clippers, nan autochthonal of adjacent Palmdale helped them to their first-ever Western Conference Finals appearance, but they were knocked retired successful nan first information of nan playoffs nan past 2 years.
“He's a typical talent,” Lue said.
George opted retired of his subordinate action successful his $48 cardinal statement pinch nan Clippers to go a free supplier and was wooed to Philly to play pinch Joel Embiid.
“It’s stupid,” George said of nan booing. “I was a free agent. It wasn’t thing that I demanded a waste and acquisition aliases went against nan squad here. I did what was champion for maine successful that situation.”
The Clippers are 4-4 to unfastened nan season, hardly nan benignant of commencement they want to thief pull fans to their caller building.
“I wish it would’ve been a small much packed out,” George said. “This point is amazing, what (owner Steve) Ballmer did and his vision. It is nan champion arena to play in.”
The Wall, a seating conception constricted to diehard Clippers fans located adjacent nan visiting bench, weighed successful connected George, too.
“I deliberation I won The Wall,” he said. “They sewage to do a small spot better.”
Another instrumentality held up a motion reference “Paul G, Please Come Back.” The Clippers are without Kahwi Leonard, who has yet to play this play while nursing his surgically repaired correct knee — again. Besides George, they besides mislaid Russell Westbrook from their Big Four that is now down to Leonard and James Harden.
“There ain’t nary bad blood. I talked to those guys passim nan full process,” George said. “Regardless if we’re teammates aliases not, those are lifelong bonds that you build. Whatever happens successful hoops benignant of doesn’t impact that relationship.”
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba