Thunder sneak by Clippers after Paul George injury

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points against his former team and Jalen Williams added 20 as the Oklahoma City Thunder continued to solidify their playoff standing with a 101-100 victory over the host Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday, March 21 (Wednesday, March 22, Manila time).

Josh Giddey scored 13 points and Isaiah Joe added 12 as the Thunder won for the eighth time in their last 10 games.

Kawhi Leonard scored 21 points and Paul George added 18 against his former team before departing with a knee injury as the Clippers lost for the second time in their last seven games, while continuing to hold a top-six spot in the Western Conference.

George appeared to hyperextend his right knee after he was fouled by Luguentz Dort on a rebound attempt with 4:38 remaining. He did not return to the game.

Russell Westbrook scored 15 points and Ivica Zubac added 13 as the Clippers lost for the third time in three games against the Thunder this season. The teams complete their season series Thursday at Los Angeles.

Leonard had a chance to give the Clippers the victory on the last possession of the game after a rebound of a Williams miss. But after dribbling near the three-point line for 21 seconds of the last possession, he was unable to get a shot off in time.

The game was tied 91-91 at the time of George’s injury, with the Clippers going up 93-91 on a jumper from Leonard with 4:22 remaining. The Thunder then went on a 6-0 run to take a 97-93 lead with 2:56 left after a layup from Gilgeous-Alexander.

The Clippers pulled within 99-98 with 1:23 remaining on a three-pointer from Eric Gordon, but Gilgeous-Alexander followed with a shot from inside for a 101-98 lead with 1:05 left. Nicolas Batum got the Clippers within a point on a layup with just under a minute remaining.

In an eventful first half, the Clippers opened an 18-4 lead barely five minutes into the game before the Thunder rallied to take a 23-22 lead at the end of the first quarter.

With 4:24 remaining in the first half, Leonard was called for a technical foul for arguing a non-call. Los Angeles’ Terance Mann also protested and was ejected after receiving two quick technicals.

Paul George on crutches

George appeared to hyperextend his right knee after he was fouled by Luguentz Dort on a rebound attempt with 4:38 remaining. He did not return to the game.

After the contest, Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said the team was still checking on George’s status. George was seen on crutches postgame, according to The Athletic, and he exited the arena on a cart, according to ESPN.

Facing his former team, George put up 18 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals in 35 minutes.

For the season, he is averaging 23.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.5 steals in 56 games.

George, 32, is an eight-time All-Star and four-time All-Defensive Team selection. He has career averages of 20.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.7 steals.

The Clippers can’t afford to lose one of their stars for a significant period with just nine games left in the regular season. Los Angeles sits in fifth place in the Western Conference, just one game up on the Golden State Warriors and 1 1/2 games in front of both the Thunder and the Dallas Mavericks.

Only the top six teams automatically qualify for the postseason. The teams in seventh through 10th will compete for two playoff berths in the play-in tournament. 

Currently, the teams sitting in sixth through 12th place are all within 2 1/2 games of the Clippers. – Rappler.com