The Los Angeles Clippers were faced with tough opposition when they hosted the Brooklyn Nets without Kevin Durant on Sunday night. Clippers star Paul George was having himself a night as the tilt eventually went down the wire in the fourth quarter. Despite playing with a groove on the floor, he had to be pulled out late in the game due to the minutes restriction stemming from his toe injury.
Head coach Tyronn Lue bared that the move was a hard decision to make but he insisted that the team is only prioritizing the health of George, via ClutchPoints‘ Tomer Azarly.
“The game kinda got out of hand and we had to bring him back to get the game close. He played well, he got us back in it. Tough decision, but biggest thing is that he's healthy and biggest thing is player's health."
Tyronn Lue on Paul George’s minutes restriction. #Clippers pic.twitter.com/zKu7kFLB1J
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) February 22, 2021
There were still 2:50 minutes left in the fourth quarter when George was called back to the bench. It was evident that George was itching to go back as he knows that he can help lead his team to a victory. Azarly then added that the veteran swingman showed frustration as he headed to the locker room.
Paul George just smacked a chair or gatorade cart on his way back to the locker room. He didn't play the final few minutes due to the minutes restriction. #Clippers
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) February 22, 2021
After the game, George spoke out on the incident and claimed how he is capable of remaining on the floor to finish the game.
“I was ready to go,” he said via ESPN. “I wanted to keep going.”
He also shared that he is already in good playing condition and his toe is not at risk of becoming inflamed again.
“I'm clear, I'm good to go, as of now,” George added. “It's an afterthought. I'm healthy, and I feel good.”
Needless to say, George could've made a huge difference in the final minutes of the game which might have led to a better outcome for the Clippers. Without his presence in crunch time, Los Angeles eventually failed to trim the deficit and succumbed to a 112-108 loss.
George ended the night with 34 points on four-of-nine from beyond the arc, along with six rebounds and seven assists in 32 minutes of action. Meanwhile, his running mate in Kawhi Leonard added 29 points and 13 rebounds for the Clippers.
Continuous minutes restriction should be expected to be put on Paul George as he continues to recover from the toe injury that ruled him out for seven games.
The narrow loss to the Nets might sting for now but it may eventually pay dividends for the Clippers in the long run as they aim to preserve the health of their star player moving forward.