Paul George was coming back to Oklahoma City to play the team that he left this offseason via trade. It was never but love for Paul George when he hit the court in Oklahoma City. A lot of the media were wondering how Paul George would be received by the OKC fans. Well, tonight in the return of Paul George the fans were cheering him and the OKC Thunder even had a little tribute clip played for PG-13 as well. The OKC Thunder were a true class act and the fans followed that until the game started so they can cheer the home team. The Thunder came out slow in this game against the Clippers as they were able to dominate in the paint very early. The play of Harrell and Zubac was making it tough on the Thunder int he interior. On the night Harrell had 18 points and was able to be very physical in the paint. The Clippers made it an added effort to set the tone early and it was working. Paul George was able to get his game going in that first half and this is something that the Thunder are used to seeing from the past. Paul had his whole package on display as he was hitting 3 pointers, driving to the lane, and he was able to create space with his smooth crossover/jumper. The Thunder had Terrance Ferguson on Paul George all night and he was able to make it tough on PG-13 on some shots. Ferguson was able to slow down Paul George in the 2nd half and it won’t come up on the stat sheet but he was able to make him work for everything. Paul George was able to score at will in the 1st half and the 2nd half he didn’t get the chance to get open looks. While Paul George wasn’t able to execute to the level he wanted too in that 2nd half he had back up. Since the Clippers were without Patrick Beverley and Kawhi Leonard they had Lou Williams starting. Lou Williams was able to carry the LA Clippers in scoring as he’s been the microwave on the offensive end for them. Lou Williams finished with 22 points on the night but his crafty offense and smooth jumper weren’t enough to pull this one out for the Clippers. The Clippers had 5 scorers in double figures but they weren’t enough to get the job done tonight as the Thunder were able to come back from an 18 point lead.
The Oklahoma City Thunder came into this game with comebacks of 26, 24, and now 18 points. This Thunder team is very scrappy and they have a lot of talent that people sleep on. The Thunder team has been able to make the opposing teams pay and it starts with the play of their three guards. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chris Paul, and Dennis Schröder. Tonight was the night that Shai wanted to let his former team and teammates know that they shouldn’t have got rid of him. Tonight Shai was able to score with his scoop and also he had his fadeaway jumper working. When Shai plays with this type of confidence on any given night I feel like he makes it tough on any defense. Tonight Shai was able to match his career-high in points with 32 again after posting that against the Suns. The second-year player is quickly emerging as a star in this league and a player that teams will have to gameplan for now. The way that Shai has played on both ends of the floor including tonight against the Clippers has been special. Shai has made some big plays on the defensive end that has led to his offense and creating others. The confidence that he’s playing with right now has been spilling over and you can tell he’s been in a zone. Shai had a three-pointer that he hit right in front of the Clippers bench and he made sure they knew he made it. When Shai plays with his type of style and confidence like calling for the ball because he knows that he has the matchup he’s a problem. The length from Shai was able to make it tough for Paul George and others to defend him on the night. Another player that was able to make things possible for the Thunder to get this victory was Dennis Schröder. When Dennis comes into the game he gives this team a big jolt in energy on both sides of the floor. The way that Dennis plays the game is very slithery and his first step is extremely quick. Dennis is showing everyone what he’s able to do with the minutes and opportunity and he’s been the main source of offense for the Thunder this year. Schröder was in the zone tonight and the Clippers had no answer for him from the inside and outside. When Dennis gets into a zone where the 3 pointers and midrange are working it’s tough to stop this team. The Thunder are now above .500 on the season as they’re 15-14 after beating the Clippers tonight.
The Thunder will look to get to 16 wins on Thursday as they have the Memphis Grizzlies and Morant coming back into town.
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