In his first game back in Philadelphia, Boston Celtics wing Paul George dominated the Philadelphia 76ers with a scoring masterclass.
After spending two seasons with the Sixers, George produced averages of 16.7 points, while shooting 37.5% from three.
He had some decent moments, like last year’s playoff series against the Boston Celtics in round one, but ultimately, the Paul George experience was a disappointment.
The 76ers gladly traded the veteran forward to the Celtics, along with draft compensation in order to acquire Jaylen Brown. It was a celebrated trade on Philly’s side, and a controversial one in Boston. But so far, George is proving the doubters wrong, and got a sprinkle of revenge against the 76ers on Tuesday night in Philly.
After the game, George stated the reason behind his re-emergence.
Paul George Reveals Reason Behind Turnaround After 76ers-Celtics Game
When George was asked about the difference between his Philly stint and the first 10 games of his Boston stint, it boils down to one thing: being healthy.
“That was the biggest challenge, the biggest hurdle. The first two years I was here in Philly,” George said after the game.
Over two seasons, George played in just 78 games. Being inconsistent with his availability, George couldn’t ramp up to his full potential. With the Celtics, he has been able to so far.
“I’m a little bit better with more usage, and that’s no knock to my opportunities here with Philly. Quite frankly, I wasn’t healthy to take on the workload that I feel I’m at my best at. But here in Boston, they gave me an opportunity to come out here and play and be myself. Joe has integrated me right into the offense and allowed me to just be myself.”
Before Tuesday’s game, George was back on track with All-Star-level production. The veteran wing is producing 20.4 points per game, while shooting 42.5% from three at a high volume.
In 30 minutes against the Sixers on Tuesday, George hit on six of his 11 shots from three, producing a total of 36 points. He helped lead the Celtics to a dominant 123-101 victory to move to 9-2 on the season.
