In Tuesday night’s Game 1 showdown, the Utah Jazz stormed back from double-digits to beat the L.A. Clippers on their home court, 112-109.
And while there were many storylines from the game, perhaps the biggest person of interest was Paul George, who shot 23.5% on the night.
It was yet another game in the suspicious playoff history of PG, and ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins didn’t let it slide.
“Can anybody find Paul George?! I remember him … saying that people were gonna pay,” Perkins exclaimed. “Well right now the only person that’s paying is Steve Ballmer because we don’t know where you are!”
"Can anybody find Paul George?! I remember him … saying that people were gonna pay. Well right now the only person that's paying is Steve Ballmer because we don't know where you are!"@KendrickPerkins is searching for PG13 👀 pic.twitter.com/cU65e1ZD5C
— First Take (@FirstTake) June 9, 2021
George has played pretty well through the postseason so far, but whether or not he’s been as good as he needs to be is questionable.
The Clippers were barely able to beat a thin Dallas Mavericks squad with virtually no playoff experience. The Jazz, though young and similarly inexperienced, are a completely different team.
They’ve got depth, star-power in Mitchell and Gobert, and guys who can play on both ends of the floor. This season, they had the NBA’s best record at 52-20.
‘For the Clippers to get past this crew, they’re going to need Paul George at the top of his game, and Perk has already put the pressure on for him to perform.
We’ll see soon enough if he rises to the occasion.
