Paul George made a bittersweet return to Indiana as a Pacers opponent on Wednesday night. In his first game back after forcing a trade to Oklahoma City in the offseason, the Thunder narrowly squeezed out a five-point victory.
Paul George’s return to Indiana was full of moments, both on and off the court
George played in an emotional first game back in Indiana. With it finally behind him, maybe the win helps OKC get it together.
Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images
George’s visit was full of memorable moments — both off the floor and on — showing his complicated relationship with the fans he spent seven seasons playing in front of.
After forcing the Pacers to trade him or risk losing him for nothing, George was back in Indiana. The Oklahoma City Thunder narrowly squeezed out a five-point victory in George’s first game back, but the emotional trip was full of moments — both off the floor and on.
When the Thunder arrived in Indiana for shootaround, George was expecting to be booed:
“I got a chance to see a lot of people yesterday when I got in. And just being around people that I’ve talked to, been around, grown up around here. So it was great. For myself, it was a great reception coming here.
“I’m in my comfort zone when I’m on the court. I might be nervous off the court being booed, but being on the court, that’s my comfort zone. It’s basketball. It’s what I do. I’m not losing sleep over it. I’m living my dream, getting to play in the NBA and getting to play basketball. So I get booed, I get booed. It’s part of the game. It’ll make for a good show, and I’m looking forward to it.”
He looked comfortable walking into the building at game time:
When the public announcer introduced his name before the game, the ex-Pacers star heard the boos he was expecting:
And the jeering only got worse as the night went on:
George did take a moment, though, to show love to the Pacers’ coaching staff he’d grown close with over the years:
And although he had a tough shooting night (3-of-14 shooting with four turnovers) in his first game back, George came up with the crucial steal on a decisive Pacers’ possession:
He then waltzed up to the line and nailed two key free throws to put the game out of reach. And after he made the second one, he shhhh’d the Bankers Life Fieldhouse crowd that booed him all night long:
After the game, PG let it all go
Pacers fans didn’t give their former star the warmest reception. George knew that was coming. But he also expanded on a few other questions during his postgame time with Pacers media. (You can watch the full presser here.)
On battling the emotions:
“Like I said earlier, I understood what the environment was gonna be coming into it, so it wasn’t a surprise. And my teammates did a good job of helping me battle this one tonight. ... I just trusted in my guys.”
On defense against Victor Oladipo:
“Victor is a great player. We just tried to make it as tough as possible.”
On whether he felt fans appreciated his demeanor:
“I don’t know if they want me to be a circus act or go out there and be a show. I played my hardest and I played hard every night. I felt I took what the city is about, and that’s being blue collar. That sure is how I approached the game. Played every side of the ball. Now they have, with Lance, the guy they were looking for.”
Did the atmosphere make you uncomfortable?
“Nah. I played over 300 something games here. I was comfortable. It had nothing to do with the boos. I just missed shots.”
On moving on:
“Vic is the face of Indiana. Vic is the future of Indiana. Indiana is on its Victor way. He’s gonna be great here. He’s blessed; he’s talented. He’s what you want in a guy for a franchise. So let’s put all this to rest. For what it is, I had an amazing seven years here. I was blessed to play in front of a great Indiana fan base, which as you saw tonight, they showed up and showed out. I’m grateful to play for this organization. But ultimately I didn’t achieve what I wanted to do here and I moved on. Both sides moved on, so let’s all move on.”
On the last-second steal:
“Vic is their guy right? Right? Don’t let him get the ball. Simple. Ball game.”
Now, it’s finally over
Just like Kevin Durant’s first game back in Oklahoma City, George faced plenty of scrutiny in his return. He was booed, but a weight may have be lifted off his shoulders with this game behind him, especially since the Thunder rallied to earn a signature win on the road.
Maybe the Thunder can use this big victory as a launchpad to fixing the issues that are holding back a talented team that is playing below expectations.
Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis are fueling Indiana’s rise
See More:
