Will Barton had one thing in mind entering a Western Conference showdown against the Oklahoma City Thunder — to not let MVP candidate Paul George get off his sight. The Denver Nuggets wing texted his coach Mike Malone in hopes of drawing the defensive assignment on George, a request Malone seemed glad to oblige.
“I want to guard Paul George,” Barton wrote in a text to his coach, according to Kyle Fredrickson of The Denver Post.
Malone’s response: “You’ve got it.”
George had himself a night with 25 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, and six steals — but his 7-of-24 shooting from the floor along with a 3-of-14 from deep indicate Barton made it a lot tougher on him that he would've liked.
“I just wanted to challenge myself,” said Barton. “Give Paul George credit. He’s one of the best players in the NBA this year and having an MVP-caliber season. I just wanted to try and make it as hard as I could for him. … Not wanting to be embarrassed or cooked on (national) TV.”
George, who recently added himself to the MVP conversation with recent performances, had 45 points and a devastating game-winner in double overtime against the Utah Jazz last Friday, only to trot out a dismal 14-point night in a loss to the playoff-chasing Sacramento Kings.
The OKC forward was bound for a bounce-back game against the Nuggets, but it was Barton's determination that stopped him short of just that.
“He looked like the old Will Barton,” Malone said. “It’s great to see.”
Barton was one of four starters in double figures, scoring 23 points and adding three rebounds and five assists in a rousing 121-112 win over the Thunder, one that now puts them four games ahead of their Western Conference rival for second place.
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