Star guard for the Los Angeles Clippers, Paul George, has finally returned to the NBA from a previously endured right elbow sprain against the Portland Trail Blazers. George’s last game was on December 25, 2021, making his total absence time from the league being a long three months. Returning against the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference, Donovan Mitchell and the Utah Jazz, George, and his squad managed to pull through with a well-deserved 121-115 victory. The 31-year-old superstar aided in Los Angeles’ win with his much-needed 34 points, 2 rebounds, and 6 assists over the course of 31 minutes on the floor.
At one point throughout the game, the Jazz withheld a confident 25-point lead until unfortunately falling to the same squad as last year. With just 10 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Donovan Mitchell was set to inbound the ball before attempting to call the final timeout for his team, which he was unaware had already been used. “It is the same sh*t… It is the same thing, it’s literally the same thing,” Mitchell stated in a post-game interview, referring back to the 2021 playoffs when Utah blew a 25-point lead against a similar Los Angeles Clippers team.
Aside from Paul George, Reggie Jackson also put on an impressive performance throughout the entirety of the night with his necessary 21 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists. With this victory, the Los Angeles Clippers officially propel themselves into entering their first-ever Conference Finals appearance throughout their 50 seasons of being an NBA franchise. Going into this matchup as the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference, Los Angeles will now look to muscle through their next challenge, the Chicago Bulls, this upcoming Thursday, March 31.