Oklahoma City Thunder: Paul George putting the team on his back
Paul George put the Oklahoma City Thunder on his back this weekend with two monster performances leading to victories.
The Oklahoma City Thunder had lost every game decided by fewer than 10 points coming into the weekend. Players were hesitant at the end of close games, sometimes becoming too passive to let another player shine. Prior to the trade, all three of Russell Westbrook, Paul George and Carmelo Anthony had the ball in their hands at the end of games. That is no longer possible all being on the same team.
As a result, someone needs to take charge late in games. Many people would guess that person would be Westbrook. After all, the Thunder are his team; George and Anthony were acquired to join him, not the other way around. Instead, it has been George who has taken the lead.
The first Thunder win decided by fewer than 10 points came Friday against the Los Angeles Clippers. George took charge in the fourth quarter with the game hanging in the balance.
When the Clippers cut the lead to two points, it was George who responded with a basket. He followed it up by drawing a foul on the next possession and knocked down both free throws. It widened the Thunder lead to six points, helping give the team some breathing room.
The Thunder were able to pull out a win in that game, as George had a monster game. He scored 10 points in the fourth quarter, giving him 42 for the game. Anthony and Westbrook combined for only five points in the fourth quarter, attempting only three shots.
It was the type of performance the Thunder needed, but George wasn’t done that weekend. The Thunder played again on Sunday against the Dallas Mavericks. This time, Anthony was out of the lineup, but PG-13 stepped up once again.
George once again helped put away the opponent. He scored 13 of his game-high 37 in the fourth quarter, killing any hopes the Mavs had of making a comeback. Once again, Westbrook took a backseat, as he attempted only two shot attempts and two free throws in the fourth quarter.
Oklahoma City Thunder
For the second straight game, George came up big when it mattered most. The third quarter was truly the deciding factor against the Mavericks and George dominated. He scored 16 points in the third quarter, giving him a monster second half. George scored 29 of his 37 points in the second half as he did not want the Thunder to lose another close game.
What was most impressive about the scoring was how efficient George was. He took only 22 shots in both games, making 13 against the Clippers and 12 against the Mavericks. George took up permanent residence at the foul line against the Clippers as well, making 12-of-15 from the charity stripe. Against Dallas, he was 6-of-7 from the foul line.
The most impressive shooting performance came from deep. George has been a strong 3-point shooter in his career, making 37.2 percent in his career. He took that to another level this weekend against the Clippers and Mavericks.
George was not shy to shoot from deep and connected at a scorching pace. Against Los Angeles, he knocked down 4-of-7 from deep. Against Dallas, George was on fire, making 7-of-12. That equals out to a ridiculous 57.9 percent from deep. His 3-point shooting from the season rose from 38.1 percent to 41.7 percent.
The scoring will be what people pay attention to, but George did a lot more than just score in these past two games. Against the Clippers, George pulled down nine rebounds with seven assists and three steals. He didn’t stop stuffing the stat sheet against the Mavericks, as he pulled down eight rebounds with five assists and two steals.
George’s performance in the past two games has been outstanding. He has helped get the Thunder two victories despite Steven Adams being sidelined for both games and Anthony missing the Mavs game.
Getting everyone on the same page will ultimately lead to the most success for the Thunder. Having Westbrook, George and Anthony clicking at the same time would present major problems for opponents.
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However, it is nice to see that they are still capable of carrying the team for stretches. This time it was George’s turn to shine; another night it could be Westbrook or Anthony. As long as the Thunder are winning games, the statistics are secondary.