Paul George Reacts to Big Game in Return

The LA Clippers took down the Utah Jazz in Paul George's return from injury

Adam Pantozzi | Credit: NBAE via Getty Images

The LA Clippers got a massive win on Tuesday night against the Utah Jazz in Paul George's first game since late December. George showed absolutely no rust, going for 34 points on 50% from the field, including 4 steals on the defensive end as well. While everybody knows what Paul George can do, this performance in his first game back was certainly more than most were expecting.

After the game, George said his motivation to come back stemmed from his idol Kobe Bryant. "Having an idol like Kobe Bryant who plays through stuff like this… when I finish I wanna look at my career and say I gave everything I had," George said. PG added that his teammates were also a major motivating factor in his desire to return. "It was a lot on Mook’s shoulder, it was a lot on Reggie’s shoulders, Nico, Zu… that’s really where the motivation and determination to come back comes from," George said.

Paul George credited his teammates for playing as hard as they did while he was out. On his rehab, George said, "When I was feeling it in December, it was just painful. I couldn't do the stuff I needed to. Shooting was never the issue, I could have been a catch and shoot player." While that doubt was prevalent, he also added that he remained optimistic that he would be able to return.

Head coach Ty Lue said after the game that "PG felt great. I didn’t even see him get tired… he looked really good. I didn’t think he’d look that good." Not many people likely did, as George played a near perfect game in his first contest in months. The Clippers pulled off the 25-point comeback, and George was the night's big story

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