At halftime, Ty Lue told Paul George to be aggressive.
Having had a quiet first half, George did more than just that in the second. In a game-altering performance, the 6'9" forward scored 26 of his game-high 33 points in the second half to ensure the LA Clippers began their season on the right note - with a win.
In doing so, he not only put a slight damper on the Lakers' ring night but also became the first Clippers player ever to record three straight 30-point games against the Lakers since the franchise moved to Los Angeles in 1984.
Paul George led the @LAClippers with 33 points, his third consecutive 30-point game vs. the Lakers. PG becomes the first Clippers player to reach 30 points in three straight Clippers vs. Lakers matchups since the franchise moved to Los Angeles in 1984. @EliasSports pic.twitter.com/Tf5atYs69U
— NBA.com/Stats (@nbastats) December 23, 2020
In 36 minutes of court time, George also racked up six rebounds and three assists while making shots at an incredible efficiency of 13-of-18 from the field and 5-of-8 from long distance.
He really started catching fire late in the third quarter when he reeled off a personal 10-2 run at the end of the period.
"I put a lot of work coming into this year," George said in his postgame interview with the 'Inside the NBA' panel.
“I’m just in a good headspace and a good physical space.”
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) December 23, 2020
PG on being able to build on the momentum from Opening Night. pic.twitter.com/23C0tM509f
He elaborated on that point in his postgame press conference with the media.
"I applied the work that I put in the offseason," George said. "It's not going to be pretty every night. Tonight it was."
"I basically was inactive for three months (before the 2019 season)... got thrown into the mix last season... had an offseason to train and work on my craft," George began explaining, per ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk. "It's different coming into the season."
He also credited his performance to being back to the regular flow of an NBA arena.
"It feels more natural being in the arena. Just the whole process leading up to games."
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