Is Clippers’ Paul George Still ‘Playoff P’?, TBD, Says EX-Clipper

The Los Angeles Clippers beat the Portland Trailblazers 122-117 on Saturday afternoon. With the game on the line and down by one, Damian Lillard was at the free-throw and miss both from the charity stripe. After missing both, Patrick Beverley and Marcus Morris Sr. can be seen making fun of Lillard on the Clippers’ bench.

Du樂威壯 ring his post game press conference, Lillard was asked about Paul George waving goodbye.

“The reason why they’re reacting like that is what they expect from me, which is a sign of respect and it shows what I’ve done at a high clip,” Lillard said. “I’m not offended by it. If anything, it should tell you how much it hurt them, what I put them through in those situations previously.”

If you are late to the party, Lillard eliminated the Oklahoma City Thunder last season in the first round with a game winning three over Paul George and waved goodbye.

“PG did the wave because he was also surprised because he experienced being waved at last year,” said Lillard. “I know what happened. I expect myself to make those free throws and I didn’t when my team needed it. That is a failure for me that I can accept.”

With Paul George and the Thunder being bounced from the Playoffs in the first round last season. He has not lived up to the nickname ‘Playoff P,’ which is a name he dubbed himself, after game one in the first round of the 2018 playoffs against the Utah Jazz.

Recently, on Heavy on Lakers Live, former Clippers’ big man Ryan Hollins, Daniel Artest, Ben Doody, and Rick Rosen were asked by Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson, if George was still ‘Playoff P’ ?

Rick Rosen: He was never ‘Playoff P’! That is the most absorb nickname ever! I like Paul George, he is a monster, but self-appointed nicknames forever are crazy!

Daniel Artest: No he is not ‘Playoff P.’

Ryan Hollin: TBD [To Be Determine] cause if he goes off, you can really judge guys. I can’t pinpoint what was going on with that Thunder team, but that was a debacle. So, he could be ‘Playoff P.’ Something in Oklahoma City was bad with him [Paul George], Melo [Carmelo Anthony] and [Russell] Westbrook. Now, that he is with the Clippers if he shows up, we won’t say he is ‘Playoff P,’ but I’m going to fairly judge him by what he does here in LA. Cause something in the air in OKC is a bad deal bro.

As for Beverley, he has also been a victim of Lillard draining a late game three to send the Rockets home for the summer as well back in 2014.

“I’m sure he has a great memory of that,” Lillard said. “That is why that drew that type of reaction from him when he saw me come up short at the end of the game.”

Less than a month ago, Beverley was a guest on The JJ Redick Podcast with Tommy Alter, and was asked who is a challenge for him to guard? He replied, Dame.

“I say Dame. I give it to him. Dame is one of the reasons why I went into the weight room. I told my guys, ‘Hey, I gotta get faster laterally. I don’t feel like I’m fast. I can’t keep up with the speed right now. I don’t know if I need to lose weight. I don’t know if I need to get stronger. I don’t know if I need to hire a new f****** team. But I need to get f******* faster…

“He’s in a system where they allow him to be exactly who he is in order for them to win at a high level. Those half-court shots are like, for me that’s layups and corner shots, half-court shots for him, though. The dynamic is very different when you’re going out there preparing for a player like that. Way different.”

During his post game interview, George stated that competition is part of the game.

“Competition. It’s part of the game,” George said. “Sim樂威壯 ple as that. It’s just competition. Some people can play with talking, some people can’t.”

To George’s credit, he did say in his post-game interview, that he was surprised that Lillard missed both free-throws.

However, it didn’t stop at the end of both post game interviews, the back and forth continued on social media.

Beverley commented first in under Bleacher Report’s meme on Lillard’s post-game comments, with “Cancun on 3″ and then George followed suit with, ‘And you getting sent home this year…Respect.”

Lillard would quickly respond to George with “Paul George keep switching teams… running from the grind. You boys is chumps.”

George was not going to let Dame get the last word though “respect that too in my stint with my first team I had more success,” the Clippers star said.

Lillard however, jumped on instagram and caption his latest post as of five hours ago, ““Suckas pray and pray on my downfall but every time I hit the ground I bounce up like roundball.”

Next up for the Blazers are the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday, who are out with Ben Simmons due to a injured knee, while the Clippers will take on the Brooklyn Nets.