Field Level Media
Dec 15, 2018
Paul George had yet another big game, scoring 33 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder snapped a two-game losing streak with a 110-104 win over the visiting Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday.
George has scored 30 or more points in four of his last six games and is shooting 57 percent from the floor over the last four games after going 11 of 19 from the field Saturday.
Though the Thunder led for much of the night, never trailing after the midpoint of the second quarter, the Clippers stayed in the game with strong outside shooting.
Los Angeles hit 13 3-pointers, including four by Danilo Gallinari, who led the Clippers with 28 points.
Two other Clippers -- Tobias Harris (22) and Montrezl Harrell (21) - were their other top scorers.
Oklahoma City led by 17 points after three quarters but the Clippers cut the deficit to six with a little more than a minute to go.
The Thunder grabbed control of the game on the defensive end, forcing the Clippers into a season-high 26 turnovers. The mark was also a season high for an Oklahoma City opponent. The Thunder turned those turnovers into 22 points, while the Clippers forced just 11 Oklahoma City turnovers, turning them into 10 points.
Oklahoma City also dominated in the paint, outscoring the Clippers 54-30, though the margin was even bigger until Los Angeles' closing run.
The Thunder built its 11-point first-half lead without much scoring help from star point guard Russell Westbrook.
Westbrook missed his first seven shots, not connecting from the floor until 2:07 remained in the first half. But Oklahoma City was able to build a lead thanks to the play of George.
Westbrook made a big impact in the second half, though his struggles from the floor remained. He finished with 13 points, 12 assists, nine rebounds and six steals.
Jerami Grant added 18 points for the Thunder while Steven Adams added 16.
The Clippers have lost five of their last six games after winning 10 of the previous 12 games before that.
Oklahoma City is now 3-1 on the back end of back-to-back games.
--Field Level Media