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Paul George is one of the most unique and talented players in the NBA. The LA Clippers guard is one of the few players in the league who can handle the ball, rebound well and shoot from all three levels at a high-efficiency rate.
His regular-season numbers have been exceptional in his 11-season-career thus far. George has averaged 20.2 points and 6.4 rebounds, shooting 43% from the floor and 38.3% from beyond the arc on 6.4 attempts per game.
Meanwhile, Paul George's playoff career numbers match his regular-season numbers as well. He has averaged 20.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per contest across 99 NBA playoffs games, shooting 42.2% from the field and 35% from beyond the arc.
Paul George's career statistics suggest he is one of the most consistent performers in the NBA, and rightly so. He has always been a leading player for all the teams he has played for and is always expected to be the key to becoming successful.
However, Paul George's struggles during crucial games throughout his career have always overshadowed his status as one of the top-rated players in the league.
There have been multiple instances in his NBA playoffs career where the team needed Paul George to put up a masterclass, but he failed to deliver, which resulted in his respective teams ending up on the losing side.
On that note, let's take a look at five times Paul George wasn't able to turn his 'Playoff P' mode on in important games during the NBA playoffs.
NBA Playoffs: 5 instances where Paul George's poor performances hurt his teams in the postseason
#1 LA Clippers vs Denver Nuggets (Game 7, 2020 NBA playoffs)
The 2020 NBA playoffs were one of Paul George's worst postseason campaigns of his career. It also ended in the worst way possible for him in the series deciding Game 7 of the second round series between the LA Clippers and Denver Nuggets.
The Clippers had already blown a 3-1 lead in that contest and needed a big performance from their star duo of Kawhi Leonard and Paul Goerge to advance to the Conference Finals. Neither of them found their rhythm, which eventually saw the Denver Nuggets win the tie 89-104 and advance to the next round after a historic turnaround.
Paul Goerge had just 10 points in that match on 4-of-16 shooting from the floor, including 2-of-11 from beyond the arc. George committed a team-high five turnovers and was able to get to the free-throw line just once and missed his only attempt from the charity stripe.
#2 OKC Thunder vs Utah Jazz (Game 6, 2018 NBA Playoffs)
The OKC Thunder, led by Russell Westbrook and Paul Goerge, were down 2-3 in their first-round series against the Utah Jazz in the 2018 NBA playoffs and were one loss away from elimination. They had blown a 2-1 series lead and had one last opportunity to stay alive in that postseason campaign.
While Russell Westbrook stepped up with a huge 46-point game on the night, Paul George, on the other hand, could only manage five points. He shot just 2-of-16 from the floor, including 0-of-6 from deep. George only managed to get to the free-throw line twice, converting only one of his attempts.
Paul George's dismal outing saw the Jazz get past OKC 96-91, which resulted in the latter bowing out of the 2017-18 campaign in the most disastrous way possible.
#3 Indiana Pacers vs Cleveland Cavaliers (Game 4, 2017 NBA Playoffs)
Paul Goerge's last season with the Indiana Pacers did not end on a successful note. He faced off against a team led by LeBron James yet again, against whom he had multiple battles during his time in the Eastern Conference. The Pacers lost that first-round series contest from the 2017 NBA playoffs 0-4.
Paul George did not have the best of outings in the do-or-die Game 4 contest for the Pacers as he recorded just 15 points, on 5-of-21 shooting from the floor. The Cavaliers narrowly won the tie 102-106.
#4 LA Clippers vs Dallas Mavericks (Game 4, 2020 NBA Playoffs)
The LA Clippers faced a stern challenge against the Dallas Mavericks in the first-round of their 2020 NBA playoffs campaign. They were leading the series 2-1 and had the chance to take a dominating 3-1 lead in Game 4.
However, they ended up losing the tie 133-135 in overtime, courtesy of Luka Doncic's 43-point triple-double and match-winning buzzer-beater from beyond the arc. Paul Goerge could only tally nine points in that game, shooting 3-of-14 from the field and missing six of his seven attempts from deep.
Even if the Clippers went onto win the series 4-2, the loss could have hampered their chances of advancing to the next round massively.
#5 Indiana Pacers vs Miami Heat (Game 2, 2014 NBA Playoffs)
The 2014 NBA Eastern Conference finals saw the Paul George-led Indiana Pacers and LeBron James-led Miami Heat square off against each other. Goerge helped the Pacers win Game 1 in emphatic style, tallying 24 points. The Pacers had a terrific chance of going 2-0 up in Game 2, but George wasn't able to replicate his Game 1 heroics and scored just 14 points on 4-of-16 shooting from the floor.
The Heat ended up winning the match 87-83 and went on to clinch a 4-2 series win. If the Pacers would've won Game 2, it would have indeed been a daunting task for LeBron James and crew to come back in the series.
Guess the Lakers players!
