Paul George and LeBron James Rekindled Their Rivalry In Dramatic Fashion
By Ben Gibson
Sunday reminded us how fun it is watching Paul George and LeBron James go at each other.
From the moment Paul George slammed the ball over Birdman and LeBron James returned fire with a 3-pointer in the playoffs — and then to two dapped — you knew there was something special going on.
But then The Injury happened. What should have been another year of the two going head to head got taken away, and George really needed most of last season to get back to being himself.
Even now, there are reasons to wonder if PG is ever going to be the player he once was. For what it is worth, George has fewer dunks in the last two seasons combined than he did in either of the two seasons before the injury according to Basketball-Reference. It makes you wonder if he just never got back the explosiveness he showed back then when he went to the lane.
But early on Sunday, George took the ball and LeBron to the rim, and it felt like old times once again.
They matched each other, shot for shot, late in the game and into the two overtimes. Paul George kept chasing the King, but in the end, Kevin Love ended up breaking the tie and pushing the Cavaliers over the top for the win.
As far as each player’s performance, it was a virtual tie between PG and LBJ. George kept the Pacers in the game while LeBron did his best to keep them at bay.
Paul George just missed out on a triple-double with 43 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists while LeBron James did have one with 41 points, 16 rebounds, and 11 assists. Both players made nearly half of the shots they took.
It was just like it was a few seasons ago and another reminder that even if PG isn’t exactly the same player he was before he broke is leg, he is still one of the best in the NBA.
It felt good to see George playing like that. LeBron is right, this is where Paul George belongs.
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Of course, the idea of where Paul George belongs his a hotly debated topic right now. Pacers fans hope all the future duels with LeBron will have PG wearing blue and gold, not some other team’s color.
It is another reason why Pacers fans should want to see Indiana in the playoffs and not hoping for the outside shot at a decent lottery pick. Anything can happen and when you consider that Paul George averaged 27.3 points a game in the playoffs last year, we should be enjoying any chance to watch him at his best. Depending on how both teams finish up, there is a chance we could get another round of Paul George and LeBron James going at it in the playoffs.
Next: Can Lance Stephenson Help Keep Paul George with the Pacers?
The Pacers currently don’t control their own destiny when it comes to the playoffs, but perhaps fate will intervene to put these two together once again.