The Los Angeles Clippers played with their trio of Paul George, Kawhi Leonard and James Harden on Sunday, but against a Trae Young-less Atlanta Hawks squad, they still lost.
Unsurprisingly, George was dismayed with their performance and admitted that they still have a lot to figure out even this late in the season.
Paul George, Los Angeles Clippers Destroyed by Atlanta Hawks
The Clippers entered the showdown with the Hawks as heavy favorites, and for good reason. They were 42-24 entering the game and among the Top 4 seeds in the West. On the other hand, Atlanta is barely a play-in team in the East and has been missing their best player in Young.
However, after leading 5-2 in the first quarter, they were never in the front again. The Clippers even trailed by as much as 29 points as the Hawks went away with the 110-93 victory.
Only George and Leonard scored in double digits for the Clippers, dropping 26 and 28 points, respectively. The Clips shot 28-of-74 from the field, including 11-of-36 from 3-point territory. They simply couldn’t get anything going offensively even against one of the worst defensive teams in the league–the Hawks have the third-worst defensive ratings in the NBA.
Atlanta used a balanced offense to take down the Clippers, with Dejounte Murray leading the way with 21 points. De’Andre Hunter added 20 points off the bench, while Jalen Johnson was all around with 18 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocks.
Paul George Slaps Los Angeles Clippers With Harsh Reality
Following their disappointing display, Paul George didn’t hold back in criticizing the Los Angeles Clippers and urged more consistency from his teammates.
George emphasized the need for the team to establish their identity, highlighting that so far, they have none.
“We want to be a team that’s consistent. We want to establish an identity… Right now, I don’t think we have an identity,” George shared, via Janis Carr of OC Register.
To be fair to George, he has a good point. The Clippers were a team on the rise at the turn of the new year. Prior to their showdown with the Hawks, they have won 23 of the 35 games they have played this 2024. Three of those losses came in their last five games.
Now, they have lost four of their last five, which should definitely be a cause for concern considering that we’re really close to the playoffs.
Los Angeles Clippers Fans Are Mad
Fans, however, took issue with George’s claim about the team. After all, there are less than 20 games left on the season. By now, the Clips should have already known their identity.
With that said, George’s remarks raised alarms.
“YOUR IDENTITY WAS TO BE A BULLY AND TAKE THE REGULAR SEASON SERIOUS. YOU SAID THAT 67 GAMES AGO WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DONT HAVE AN IDENTITY. I’m gonna throw up????????” one critic commented.
Another frustrated fan said, “less than 20 games left & we talm bout finding identities lord help me.”
A third commenter added, “Saying this in March is crazy.”
Hopefully the Clippers wake up from their current slumber. If not, they could be in trouble.
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