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The Kawhi Leonard-less LA Clippers, led by Paul Goerge, beat the Utah Jazz 119-111 at Vivint Arena to take a vital 3-2 series in their Western Conference semi-final contest. The Clippers are now just one win away from making it to their first-ever NBA Western Conference finals appearance.
Paul George delivered a historic performance, becoming the first player in the LA Clippers' history to score 35+ points, 15+ rebounds and 5 assists in a playoff game. He finished with 37 points, 16 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks. Meanwhile, Marcus Morris Sr. (25 points) and Reggie Jackson (22 points) also came up big in the absence of Kawhi, playing excellent cameos to PG's 'Playoff P' performance.
Meanwhile, the Utah Jazz started hot from the three-point line, knocking down ten threes in the first quarter of the game. By half-time, they had 17 made threes, but to everyone's surprise, Quin Snyder's men were leading the LA Clippers by just five points (65-60).
With the LA Clippers without Kawhi, and the way the Jazz were shooting, they looked like the favorites to win the tie. However, the Jazz shot just 3-of-24 from beyond the arc in the entire second half, which played a huge role in their loss.
Donovan Mitchell, who has been playing through an ankle injury, ended with 21 points as Bojan Bogdanovic led Utah in scoring with 32 points on the night.
Paul George claims he is ready to lead the LA Clippers in the absence of Kawhi Leonard
Paul George's stellar outing was a testament to the fact that he is still a superstar in his own right and is more than capable of being a leader in the franchise. During the post-game interview, George mentioned he knew he had to come up big in the absence of talisman Kawhi Leonard to help the LA Clippers stay afloat.
Here's what Paul George said:
"It was a blow. It was no secret. I knew I had to be big tonight. I've got to be big going forward... our season is alive because of (Kawhi's) shouldering."
Paul George also said that he was channeling himself to be the kind of player he was during his stint with the Indiana Pacers, which is something he reflected on while playing for the LA Clippers in Game 5.
"Having to come out and lead a ball club. I just dug into a place I've already been in," said George.
Paul George seemed determined to get the job done and was more than ready, according to his teammates and head coach Ty Lue. The LA Clippers coach claimed that PG assured him that he was going to get the job done for the team before the game even started. Speaking in the post-match press conference, Lue said:
"Before shootaround, he (George) said, "T, I got us"....I have a lot of respect for PG ... I know a lot of great players who have a bad series ... it's whatever, keep being who you are."
The Utah Jazz and LA Clippers will now head to Staples Center to play Game 6 of the series on Friday. The Jazz will see their record-breaking campaign come to an end if they fail to win the tie and force Game 7.
Guess the Lakers players!
