LOS ANGELES — Paul George had no intention of striking the same pose that his latest bobblehead depicts – him coming off a two-handed dunk with a laser-sharp look that focused on the next play.
But that’s exactly what happened in the fourth quarter of the Clippers’ 112-106 victory against the Detroit Pistons on Saturday. His hard-charging slam with 5:47 left gave the Clippers a 98-94 lead that they never relinquished, immortalizing his dunking ability not only in a figurine but in the minds of the fans at Crypto.com Arena.
“I just happened (to make it) happen on my bobblehead night,” George said.
George’s eye-popping dunk was an exclamation point to his game-high 33-point game, scoring 20 of his points in the second-half comeback. The Clippers had trailed by as many as 13 in the first half against the Pistons, who came into the game having won just seven games this season.
“I give Monty (Williams, Pistons coach) credit, I give the Pistons credit,” George said. “They’re playing well over the past three or four games … this is one of those tough games.”
Whether it was the dunk or his dominating play, George seemed to find a new fan. Pistons center Jaden Duren asked for George’s jersey shortly after the game. The Clippers All-Star obliged, handing Duren a sweaty No. 13 jersey.
Yet it was Pistons’ point guard Cade Cunningham that impressed George. Cunningham finished with 20 points, six rebounds and 10 assists.
“I love Cade’s game. He’s really good,” George said. “He’s athletic. He’s strong. I think that’s really where he’s going to be a problem for many years to come.
“You talk about his size, his ball-handling ability, his play-making ability, and just how strong he is, and they got a strong nucleus of their core.
“They are going to be good when they figure it out playing together. But I love his game. He’s competitive. I think he’s a great leader at such a young age already. He’s going to be good and I’m looking forward to watching his success throughout the season.”
ONE MONTH LATER
It’s been a month since teammate Kawhi Leonard signed a three-year, $153 million extension and it was believed that George would sign an extension soon afterward. But there hasn’t been any announcement of a deal being reached.
Is the goal for both sides to come to an agreement?
“That’s the goal.”
Is there any new update?
“That’s the goal.”
HARD HIT
Norman Powell suffered a deep gash between his eyebrows when Duren elbowed him while both went up for a rebound in the fourth quarter. He lay in a pool of blood on the court before heading to the locker room with 5:12 to play.
Powell, sporting a bandage that covered stitches, said he would be fine. “Yeah, I’m tough,” he said.
