LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS MEDIA CONFERENCE

September 11, 2020

Paul George

Postgame Press Conference

Nuggets 111, Clippers 105

Q. You mentioned last game that the series has always been a game of runs throughout the game. Defensively, will you guys still need to work on to be able to seal the deal for Game 6?

PAUL GEORGE: I think we did great defensively. I think we just didn't match that last bit of pace that they came with. That was it. Played great defensively all game. Just that spurt, we didn't match the intensity. They played a little faster. That's on us for allowing them to play faster, so we got to be better with closing the game out.

Q. I think people might not understand just how hard it is to put a team away in the playoffs, especially a team with that kind of fight.

PAUL GEORGE: Yeah, I mean, it's playoffs. Beating a team three times in a row is tough. I mean, that's what we're facing, and elimination games are tough. It is what it is, though. We had them on the line. We gave a game up. Game 6, we got to come in and put them away. That's the emphasis in the series, Game 6. We got to do our job and do our job better.

Q. Kawhi, who has been through this a few times, said that after game like this, it's important to stay even keel, and obviously he is an incredibly even keel person. How much does it help to have a dude like that that has that demeanor in situations like this?

PAUL GEORGE: Yeah, he obviously is the most successful player on this team. He's been through these. I've been through these but not to the extent that he has, so you rely on a guy that has that experience and knows what he's talking about. We're an even-keep group as is, and it makes this that much better that our leader is a guy that we can fall back on and know that we'll be all right. We'll stay together, we'll stay poised, and again, we'll be ready for Game 6.

Q. You said the other night entering this series, this is a team you could not give them any life because they could come back from 3-1. Is this what you war talking about tonight, what happened?

PAUL GEORGE: Yeah, we gave them a little bit of life, and they played desperation ball. They didn't have a choice. They played desperation ball. Credit them for not wanting to go home. They played great down the stretch. We just had to match it. But like I said, it all comes down to our approach Game 6.

Q. You guys have built big leads through the postseason but you haven't closed a lot of them, some of them out, any ways. Is that because it's just basketball teams are making runs or is that you guys taking your foot off the pedal and not making shots and what do you credit that to?

PAUL GEORGE: I think it's just us not putting them away. You know, that's just as simple as it is. Sure, you've watched all these games that's been going on in the bubble and teams go up big and the other team rallies back. It's just how it's been. But again, we're in the driver's seat. We had them where we wanted them. Again we should have put them away. They came back, they won a game, and it just comes down to Game 6.

Q. I've asked you a couple times about the sense of urgency and you've showed up with it the last couple games here. Going into the fourth quarter, did you lose that sense of urgency, or were they just that much more hungry to win this game tonight?

PAUL GEORGE: Yeah, they played hard. They played like the season was on the line. They had that approach. You know, they were out there flying around. They played hard and they made timely baskets that they needed. It's just what it came down to.

Q. We saw you all kind of acknowledge 9/11. Wanted to get your thoughts on kind of that and kind of as we continue to remember the fallen ones from that day and just the overall day and kind of, yeah, overall thoughts on the tribute and the celebration, things of that sort.

PAUL GEORGE: Yeah, I mean, it's a beautiful thing to honor the history and the amazing people that helped and were involved and the lives that were lost, honor them. You know, it's American history. It's a part of my history. You know, it's sad. It's a special day, obviously, again for all the families.