Paul George is back, and he is back with a bang, right on time. His “Playoff P” tag was under trouble all this while, and it was crucial for him to perform. The “go hard or go home” mentality surely helped him as he ensured the LA Clippers take on the Dallas Mavericks with brute force in Game 5.

By the end of quarter three, PG had accumulated 27 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist in just 21 minutes of playtime. His ball-handling finally looked ravishing and his aggression was on point. But something happened in the middle of the game that gave us chills as we saw it. And yes, Luka Doncic could post only 22 today.

Did the Dallas Mavericks cross lines defending the Clippers in Game 5?

Well, they were playing with the same frustration that a team will have if they were facing a 29-point deficit. The Mavs were playing without Kristaps Porzingis, and it put a lot of pressure on the next line of players like Tim Hardaway Jr. So, just two minutes into the third quarter, something rather nasty happened. 

Paul George got fouled by Tim inside the paint. Mavericks’ Tim Hardaway went a little too far trying for a block against PG. Just as he missed the ball, his palm put a big slap on Paul’s face. What we saw later was center Ivica Zubac calming down a highly frustrated Paul while Hardaway too looked furious. 

A flagrant foul can never get away without sparking talks in the town. Many reactions followed on Twitter after that event.

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The viewers of the clip were quick to compare such an aggressive play with that from the 90s, when Tim Hardaway’s father used to play in the NBA. Tim ended up posting 19 points while PG got to 35.

Paul George is here to stay!

Before this match, PG was averaging just 15.3 points, 7.3 rebs, and 3.8 assists per game. NBA analysts were all criticizing him in a full-blown attack, while his team was always in his support. However, after today’s performance, he has proved that the Clippers were not wrong to sign him and Kawhi Leonard as their top guns (because signing the duo came at a heavy price).

It’s too soon to comment whether PG’s form from the old days when he played playoffs for the Pacers or OKC is back. But we can comfortably make a case that he can rise to the occasion when required. The LA Clippers could not have afforded to lose today’s game against the underdogs if they were to hold their head high. Let’s see if Game 6 becomes the last for the Mavs in the NBA Playoffs 2020, or if the fans see a do-or-die Game 7.