Despite scoring a game-high 34 points in 33 minutes during his second contest back from a seven-game absence due to a swollen toe, Paul George remained fixed to the bench for the final 2:50 of his Los Angeles Clippers' 112-108 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.
"I was ready to go," George said postgame, according to ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk. "I wanted to keep going."
George's readiness was evident to start the fourth quarter. With the Clippers trailing 89-79, the perennial All-Star wing tallied 12 points and two assists, closing the gap to six points before being pulled prior to the final stretch.
"I thought the game kind of got out of hand and we had to bring him back to get the game close," Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. "And he played well and played good to get us back in it, and then it's a tough decision.
"But the biggest thing is that he's healthy, and the biggest thing is the player's health. We did what we could, but it is what it is."
George insists his health isn't currently a concern.
"I'm clear, I'm good to go, as of now," he added. "It's an afterthought. I'm healthy, and I feel good."
