He kept calling on down his roster, not wanting their shared heartbreak from three hours earlier, when the Clippers had fallen two games behind in their first Western Conference final on a last-second lob, to last as the night’s final takeaway.
Between free throws in the third quarter, George tugged at his shorts, bent over while breathing deeply, and it showed with his six turnovers.
After 12 games in their last 22 days, the Clippers are gassed.
“We continue to just chip away, try to chip away, try to figure out ways we can be better and try to figure out ways to impose our will on our opponents.
Paul, whose arrival to the Clippers 10 years ago opened the “Lob City” iteration of this franchise’s championship aspirations, could not close the door on his former team’s realistic chances to advance deeper than ever.
Booker, donning a transparent plastic mask after suffering what he called a “crooked” nose Tuesday, and Paul each made two of 10 shots in the first half.
Turnover-free for 13 minutes, the Clippers committed four in their next four minutes, with three by Rajon Rondo, the player the Clippers acquired in March with the expressed purpose of leaning on his reputation of postseason stability.
“We know our back’s against the wall 0-2, but we never give in,” Lue said.