PG, spurred by Lue to lead, drops 40 in Clips' win

SACRAMENTO -- LA Clippers prima defender Paul George was successful the mediate of a large 2nd 4th erstwhile helium said a method foul "turned my aggression up." He proceeded to instrumentality his choler retired connected the Sacramento Kings.

George exploded for 40 points to spell with six rebounds and six assists to pb the Clippers to a 111-109 triumph implicit the Kings astatine the Golden 1 Center connected Saturday.

George believed the Kings had their hands each implicit him and helium fto the officials cognize it erstwhile helium was called for a method with 2 minutes, 4 seconds near successful the 2nd quarter.

"I knew I had to beryllium assertive from the leap already," George said of his scoring being fueled adjacent much by the deficiency of foul calls and the method foul. "If anything, it [was] conscionable aft being aggravated astir that. It decidedly turned my aggression up."

With the Clippers resting Kawhi Leonard and John Wall successful the archetypal crippled of a back-to-back set, George scored 36 of his points successful the last 31-plus minutes.

This was precisely what Clippers manager Ty Lue wanted to spot from George. Earlier this month, George said Leonard was the wide No. 1 enactment connected the squad and that helium was the No. 2 to amusement that determination was nary ego involved. Lue praised George, a seven-time All-Star and erstwhile MVP finalist, for mounting a code of sacrifice for the team.

But Lue besides wanted to marque definite that George wasn't taking "a backseat" either, truthful helium had a speech with George earlier the commencement of the regular season.

"I don't deliberation helium has to alteration roles," Lue said of George moving backmost and distant betwixt a complementary and starring relation erstwhile Leonard is playing and erstwhile Leonard isn't. "I deliberation helium has to beryllium aggressive. I deliberation it is not one-two, it is one-and-one. Those 2 guys person to nutrient and execute astatine a precocious level for america to win, connected some sides of the floor.

"I had that speech with PG. He is simply a large player, truthful you got to beryllium assertive and bash what you do. You can't instrumentality a backseat, you got to beryllium aggressive."

George said helium understood Lue's connection to him.

"It was an casual conversation," George said. "For me, I conscionable pridefulness myself connected being that feline that enjoys doing everything. I bask being that glue guy, and immoderate the squad oregon immoderate that crippled needs of me, I'm going to do.

"I conscionable didn't privation thing going into this twelvemonth wherever radical are saying this and saying that -- if I'm the [No.] 2, I'm good being the [No.] 2. But I cognize what I'm susceptible of. I cognize I'm capable to beryllium a No. 1 enactment connected nights and a No. 1 enactment connected possessions. I'm precise alert and precise assured successful my ability. That means thing to maine arsenic acold arsenic being the [No.] 2 guy, being the [No.] 1 guy, [or] being 1A, 1B. I'm going to spell retired and bash my occupation regardless."

George said helium came to Sacramento motivated by his show successful the play opener against the Los Angeles Lakers. George changeable conscionable 4-for-12 and had 15 points, 10 rebounds but 5 turnovers and 5 fouls successful a 103-97 triumph implicit the Lakers connected Thursday.

In Sacramento, helium had 4 points and 3 assists successful the archetypal 4th but his scoring came to beingness midway done the 2nd quarter. He scored 15 points successful the past 7:22 of the archetypal fractional but was whistled for the method foul aft pleading his lawsuit with an authoritative for being fouled.

"The players were holding connected to me," George said. "I was trying to marque my lawsuit that, what bash you privation maine to do, their hands are connected maine and I was trying to get their hands disconnected me."

George scored different 11 points successful the 3rd earlier scoring 10 successful the last 7 minutes to clasp disconnected the Kings. After Sacramento chopped a 12-point fourth-quarter shortage to 5 with 2:22 left, George scored doubly to propulsion the pb backmost up to nine.

"Kawhi is going to beryllium a process," Lue said helium told George of Leonard's instrumentality aft missing each of past play owed to a torn close ACL. "It is going to beryllium a portion earlier helium is backmost to the Kawhi we know.

"Tonight, I thought [George] was aggressive, thought helium was great. ... PG did a large occupation of bringing america home."