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Paul George was automatic Wednesday night in Boston, pouring in 37 points on 11 of 26 shooting, but it wasn’t enough, as the Celtics held off the Pacers in the fourth quarter for a 109-100 victory. It was another tough night away from home for Indiana, as they fell to 11-25 on the road -- the worst mark in the league among the teams currently in the playoff picture.
After the game, George was very complimentary of the winning team, especially in regards to the chemistry the team has. “If you look at their roster, everybody knows what to expect out of everybody,” George said of the Celtics. “There’s never a moment where a guy is like, ‘What kind of shot are you taking?’ Or, ‘What are you doing?’ They are beyond that. And that’s the chemistry we’re trying to make.”
He added, that the Pacers have “a little way to go.”
Paul George really, really likes what he sees out of the #Celtics. Here's proof. pic.twitter.com/2paqHX8Upz
— Marc D'Amico (@Marc_DAmico) March 23, 2017
With George’s situation in Indiana very much in flux, this was interesting to hear from him, as he sounds envious of the Celtics’ roster situation, and more importantly, doesn’t exactly seem thrilled about what’s going on in Indiana. Though to be fair, he did say this after a loss, so perhaps there’s some frustration seeping in.
In any case, it will be interesting to continue monitoring the George situation as it moves forward. The Celtics, of course, were reportedly interested in making a move for the All-Star at the deadline, and George has reportedly shown plenty of interest in joining the Lakers. Then there’s the fact that if George makes an All-NBA team, he could get the most money by staying in Indiana after next year.
Was this simply George complimenting another team after they played well? Or was this an attempt at making his frustration with the situation in Indiana known to the front office after he delivered a brilliant performance, but was let down by those around him? Perhaps a combination of both?
On the one hand, you don’t want to make too much out of a postgame quote, but this certainly adds another layer to the ongoing drama around the future of both George and the Pacers.
