LOS ANGELES — Paul George and the Los Angeles Clippers are only 12 games into their regular season, but they've shocked many by winning seven games in a row despite missing Kawhi Leonard. The latest win came against Patrick Beverley and the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night, improving their record to 8-4.

The Clippers started the season 1-4, with losses to the Golden State Warriors, Memphis Grizzlies, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Portland Trail Blazers. They haven't lost since, and the manner in which they're winning is what may be taking most people by surprise.

Tyronn Lue's club holds the third-best defensive rating in the NBA while only ranking 14th in offensive rating. Defense hasn't been an issue all year for the Clippers. When they struggled to get the lid off the rim and score points, it was their defense that allowed them to stay in games.

“We're never gonna just lock somebody up and stop them,” Reggie Jackson said after the team's win over the Timberwolves. “But it's really about just trying to get them off their spot, that's one thing we talk about. Get a guy off his spot, and after that you can live with the results.”

Patrick Beverley's Timberwolves have been on the receiving end of three losses to the Clippers this year already. Having just played four and a half years with the club, Beverley knows why they've been so successful without Kawhi.

“Freedom and the ability to shoot,” Beverley explained. “They got a lot of guys over there shooting the shit out of the ball this year. I think Reggie is high 35%, Paul George is obviously in MVP form right now, Nikki (Nicolas Batum) has been shooting the piss out of the ball, T-Mann’s been shooting the piss out, Luke’s been shooting the piss out the ball, so when you got a lot of shooters like that, it makes the game a lot easier for Paul George to kind of operate and do his thing. Big Zu has been playing his ass off this year. You got a big guy rolling like that, it opens up for everybody else. They’re a hell of a team, coached by a really good coach.”

Looks like Paul George just got another vote of support on his MVP chase, although he'll probably tell you that goal is insignificant to him if the Clippers don't make another deep playoff run.

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In his return to Los Angeles, Patrick Beverley also discussed the franchise and some good memories he'll take with him forever.

“Lot of smiles man,” Beverley said with a smile of his own. “Lot of smiles. If I was to do it all over, wouldn’t change it a bit. Me, Lou, and Trez came here, and then one by one, I was the last Mohican and then I was out.

“But no regrets. Wouldn’t change anything. We put on for the city. We turned this Laker city into a Clipper city and that’s all you can ask for. We gave the fans something to be excited about, we gave the city something to be excited to about. People wanted to see the Clippers play for whatever reason and we’ll appreciate that.”