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After Shutting Down Kyrie Irving’s Father, Paul George Breaks Silence on Viral Celebration in Game 4 vs Mavs

Published 04/30/2024, 3:47 PM EDT

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When you face each other three times in the past five seasons, sparks are expected to fly. Something similar happened during the Los Angeles Clippers and the Dallas Mavericks first-round playoff series. During Game 3, Russell Westbrook and P.J. Washington were ejected after the former’s hard foul on Luka Doncic. And Washington, in a moment of defiance, struck a pose, crossing his arms and staring down the Clippers’ bench. Of course, Paul George returned the favor in the next game.

With the Mavs leading the series 2-1, George was a man on a mission to tie the first-round playoff series. He put together a masterful first half, scoring 26 of his 33 points before the break, including five 3s. However, it was after his fifth three-pointer that things got interesting. George seemed to take a page out of Washington’s playbook, striking a pose similar to Washington’s mean mug from the last game.

In the recent episode of his Podcast P with Paul George, the Clippers forward/guard revealed that he did not intend to mock Washington. “Something had happened; maybe it was like a loose ball or a small scuffle, something that happened, and those fans stood up and they started doing, you know, the little mug sh-t, and so it was after I made that three. It was literally in the same spot where those fans are sitting courtside and so I looked over it and looked at them and that was directed towards them. I got nothing to do with P.J.,” clarified George.

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Not just that, he also shed light on his interaction with Kyrie’s dad, who was sitting courtside.

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Paul George’s corner three leaves Kyrie Irving’s dad in awe

Paul George’s red-hot first half led the Clippers to a 23-point lead after the first quarter and a 31-point lead shortly after. However, the Mavericks rallied back, taking a 105-104 lead with two minutes and 15 seconds remaining in the contest, which George erased 20 seconds later with a corner three that even left Kyrie Irving’s dad stunned.

“It’s funny that after hitting that corner three, the person I was talking to was actually Kyrie’s dad sitting in that corner. After I made that three, Kyrie’s dad looks at me and he’s like [reaction] so I’m like, ‘Yeah Pops, I got that too,'” recalled George.

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The fallaway corner three put the Clippers back up by 2 points, and they never looked back as they tied the series 2-2 with a much-needed 116-111 win. The two teams will head back to LA now for Game 5 on Wednesday, May 1 at 10 p.m. ET.

Which team do you think will take the lead this time? Let us know in the comments!

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Written by:

Darshita Daga

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Darshita is an NBA Writer at EssentiallySports who is creating her own space in the spectrum of sport journalism. Darshita specializes in dissecting post-game interviews, trade, and contracts. Her appetite for literature, akin to her affection for the Milwaukee Bucks, knows no bounds.
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