OKC Thunder: Stats hint Paul George’s ‘Playoff P’ is ready for his series debut
Playoff P Debut Time:
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In retrospect, Game 2 was a 20 point beat down so it’s doubtful George could’ve done anything to reverse that outcome. However, Game 1 was lost by five points so if George was health(ier) he likely draws more fouls on the Blazers, gets to the line more and subsequently scores more.
Of course, it’s all relative at this point because we can’t change what is already done. Still, there are some positives to point to.
Specifically, in the last game, PG got to the line 17 times. And, of course, there was that dunk at game end. It was also the only game in the series where George registered a positive point differential (+10). That likely speaks to him playing more aggressive defensively, which again might be an indication the shoulder is better.
We’ll likely learn more at season end regarding the shoulder, but in the absence of George saying there’s an issue all we can draw from is what we’re witness to.
Whether you agree with PG dunking the ball at game end (which incidentally, if Anfernee Simons had simply dribbled out the shot clock instead of attempting to score doesn’t happen) that was the lasting image we have from Game 3.
Next. History of NBA teams who overcame 0-2 deficit to win series. dark
If nothing else, the OKC Thunder and Blazers are way past not being fond of each other. And, I say there’s no better time than Game 4 for ‘Playoff P’ to make an appearance and help lead his squad to even up this series.