George eyeing bounceback with more rest, secret game plan
You’d never guess by Paul George’s explosive Game 1 against the Jazz that offense has been his problem.
George scored 24 of his 36 points in Game 1 of the Thunder’s Western Conference first-round series with the Jazz with a left hip contusion. But despite being assigned to shadow Utah’s Joe Ingles for much of the first two games, George said the offensive end is where he’s felt that hip contusion the most.
“It was tougher for me offensively to have that burst and that push,” George said Friday. “Defensively it’s angles. I know how to read guys. I know how to shade guys certain directions and for the most part defend them how I want to defend them, push them the direction I want them to go.
“Offensively, it’s having that push and that explosiveness to go by guys right now (that) is a little tough.”
George said he’s hoping by Game 3 his hip “should feel totally better.”
“I think we made huge strides,” George said of his hip from Game 1 to Friday. “Like I said, after the game, I wasn’t even able to put my own shorts on. The pain was just tough. But then to play, so I’ve made gains and I’ve made gains from Game 2 to where I’m at now. So, it’s another full day to recover and rehab and rest. I should be fine.”
Regardless of his health, George’s shot distribution in terms of types of shot was similar in both games. But in Game 2 he went 1-of-7 when considered “open” or “wide open” (according to NBA.com, a defender four feet away or more). George was 9-of-11 on those shots in Game 1.
Fewer open shots for George, but also fewer makes. Maybe two additional days of rest and treatment can help.
“I think the shots that we took were shots we can make, but we could have made it a little easier on ourselves,” George said of the Thunder’s woeful fourth quarter in which him, Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony combined to go 0-of-14.
“I think just doing a better job of picking and choosing spots on the floor. I have a game plan for myself that I’ll keep to myself.” THUNDER
offensive glass. The Jazz has outrebounded the Thunder 24-19 there, with Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors combining for as many offensive rebounds (13) as the Thunder in Game 2.
“It all comes down to effort, pretty much ... knowing your personnel, knowing the person you’re guarding,” Thunder forward Patrick Patterson said. “We know they have two tremendous rebounders in (Rudy) Gobert and (Derrick) Favors.
“The first game I thought we did a great job of taking away Favors’ and Rudy Gobert’s rebounding. The second game we did a horrific job.”
In addition to better defensive rebounding, Anthony said the Thunder needs to control its turnovers to limit the Jazz’s fast break. Before the Thunder’s first timeout in each game, the Thunder committed a combined five turnovers, leading to 13 Jazz fast-break points.
“Things like that is what I think beat us,” Anthony said. “So we got to control that. Do a better job of rebounding, keeping them off the glass and being in control of the basketball.”
Westbrook’s fastbreak points per game in the series. Westbrook averaged 5.5 in the regular season. It’s prompted the Jazz to try to foul Westbrook in the open court, a la European basketball, to prevent the fast break. “Just trying to limit that as much as possible, being able to take those Eurofouls. I think we’re all committed to it,” Utah’s Donovan Mitchell said.
Anthony on the crowd at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City: “It’s like a college game, like a college atmosphere. I think that’s what makes that place so unique. I enjoy playing there. I think those games are fun. We will enjoy these next two games.” ... George on his parents attending Games 1 and 2 in Oklahoma City: “Oh man they loved it. They loved it. They thought it was loud when they first got here, in their first home game here. But it was great. That was my first time, those first two games being in this arena with this atmosphere, so we kind of enjoyed that together.”