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Paul George Reveals Honest Reason for Clippers First Round Exit

The LA Clippers lost to the Dallas Mavericks in round one

Joey Linn

May 3, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; LA Clippers forward Paul George (13) is fouled by Dallas Mavericks
May 3, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; LA Clippers forward Paul George (13) is fouled by Dallas Mavericks / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
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For the second-straight season, the LA Clippers were eliminated in the first round while Kawhi Leonard was sideline due to a right knee injury. This is the fourth-straight postseason that Leonard was unable to participate due to his right knee, and while that is always the most notable issue for the Clippers, there were several other issues on the court in their opening round loss to the Dallas Mavericks this postseason.

During a recent episode of Podcast P, a Wave Sports + Entertainment Original, Clippers star Paul George detailed what he believes are the primary reasons the Clippers were eliminated by the Mavericks.

"We relied on too much isolation basketball,” George said. “… In Game 4 and our win in Game 1 we played a lot faster. It was a quick pace. That’s how you gotta be… The teams that are still playing right now are young… We made it easy for [Dallas] to take over.”

George also detailed how the Mavericks defended LA in this series, by loading up and forcing them to make plays, which the Clippers star admits he and his team did not handle as well as they could have.

As previously mentioned, this is the second-straight season the Clippers were eliminated in the first round. The Kawhi Leonard and Paul George era has now produced one Western Conference Finals appearance, one second round exit, two first round exits, and a playoff absence. 

It will be interesting to see how the Clippers approach this summer.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.

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