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LOS ANGELES • The Los Angeles Lakers sure didn’t have much time to savor their 17th National Basketball Association (NBA) title.
A little over two months after they claimed last season’s crown by beating the Miami Heat in the Finals, they returned to earth in a 116-109 loss to rivals the Los Angeles Clippers on the opening night of the new season. Tuesday. .
Paul George led the Clippers, less than two weeks after signing a four-year contract extension worth $ 226 million ($ 301.6 million), at the Staples Center.
The All-Star scored 26 of his 33 points in the second half as his team held off the champions.
“I got into a good rhythm making plays for the team,” George said. “That’s how I get on, I let the game come to me. I took the shots when they were available.”
Kawhi Leonard added 26 points for the Clippers, who are looking to erase the memory of their agonizing Western Conference semifinal loss to the Denver Nuggets, who were down 3-1 but won in seven games.
George received a lot of ridicule for failing to live up to his “Play-off P” moniker, but new Clippers coach Tyronn Lue believes the forward can be “unstoppable” if his mindset is right.
Leonard, the MVP of last year’s Finals, also felt a change in attitude from George, saying, “We’re not thinking about (last season). It’s a different team.
“In the play-offs when he missed shots, he (George) kept talking, communicating, playing the right way, playing defense.
“They just didn’t fall for him. And tonight, his shots fell off, but obviously, he’s making my job easier by talking to people, giving instructions about missed assignments or if we’re not executing plays properly.”
Finals MVP LeBron James led the Lakers with 22 points, while teammates Anthony Davis had 18 and Dennis Schroder, a new addition, scored 14 points with 12 rebounds and eight assists.
The night started off with a bang as the Lakers received their diamond and amethyst encrusted championship rings. There were no fans present, but family members, and some front-line healthcare workers who are fans of the Lakers, delivered heartfelt recorded messages of congratulations to the team before the game.
But they were behind the scenes early on, losing from start to finish in a game the Clippers led by as much as 22 points in the first quarter.
“The game comes fast and you have to focus,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said of the gear change after the ring ceremony.
“It’s weird in every way,” James, who sprained his ankle in the fourth quarter, said of the prevailing feeling of the day.
“Celebrating a historic moment with our franchise and having to do it without our family, friends and fans is a strange day to say the least.”
He added about the result: “It’s the first game, it’s the first test for us. We have literally been together for nine days as a complete group.”
FRANCE MEDIA AGENCY
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