FILE – Paul George #13 of the LA Clippers within the first quarter at Crypto.com Arena on April 06, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. Ronald Martinez/Getty Images/AFP
Paul George scored a team-high 23 factors in 34 minutes Saturday night time and the Los Angeles Clippers tuned up for his or her upcoming look within the NBA Western Conference play-in match with a 117-98 victory over the visiting Sacramento Kings.
Norman Powell chipped in with 20 factors off the bench in his second comeback effort after a two-month absence for the eighth-seeded Clippers (41-40), who will go to the seventh-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday within the play-in opener.
The Clippers, who’ve gained 4 in a row, shut out the common season at house on Sunday night time towards the Oklahoma City Thunder in a recreation that may imply little apart from figuring out whether or not Los Angeles finishes the season at or above .500.
Paul George (@Yg_Trece) directed the @LAClippers offense of their win, tying a career-high with 12 dimes! #ClipperNation
🏀 23 PTS | 8 REB | 12 AST | 2 STL | 6 3PM pic.twitter.com/8cEspJ5lDN
— NBA (@NBA) April 10, 2022
Davion Mitchell had a team-high 22 factors for the Kings (29-52), who will get one ultimate shot at a 30-win season Sunday night time at Phoenix.
Playing for the fifth time since coming back from an elbow harm, George nailed an 18-footer on the Clippers’ first possession and the hosts by no means seemed again en path to sending Sacramento to a 3rd straight defeat.
George added a 3-pointer and an help as Los Angeles scored the sport’s first 9 factors earlier than happening to guide by as many as 17 within the first quarter and 20 within the second.
The Kings, who had gained 124-115 at Los Angeles in December, obtained as shut as seven on a number of events within the third interval, earlier than the Clippers spurted away once more to as a lot as a 23-point benefit early within the fourth quarter and coasted house.
George shot 6-for-9 on 3-pointers to account for a majority of his factors on an evening when the Clippers went 21-for-43 from past the arc. Los Angeles outscored Sacramento 63-21 on 3-pointers.
George additionally discovered time for a game-high 12 assists.
All however one of many 12 Clippers who noticed motion within the recreation scored, with 4 others becoming a member of George and Powell in double figures. Ivica Zubac totaled 15 factors as a part of a double-double with a game-high 12 rebounds, whereas Marcus Morris Sr. added 11 factors, and Isaiah Hartenstein and Luke Kennard 10 apiece.
Trey Lyles backed Mitchell with 15 factors and Damion Jones had 12 for the Kings, who will miss the playoffs for the sixteenth consecutive season. Chimezie Metu was Sacramento’s main rebounder with 10 to go along with 9 factors.
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