Paul George salvages subpar Pacers homecoming with clutch defense

By no means was this an impressive homecoming for Paul George.

Indiana Pacers fans lustily booed George each time he caught the ball, but that same vitriol wasn't reciprocated. Since the jumper wasn't falling, George became largely an afterthought in the Oklahoma City Thunder's offense as he finished with a disinterested 12 points on 3-of-14 shooting.

George made his presence felt on defense, though. He came up with a clutch steal to seal the win, drilled two free throws, then acknowledged the crowd for the first time all game by shushing them with the victory in hand.

Pacers fans know this all too well. Even when he isn't scoring, George still finds a way to contribute by playing lockdown defense. That's what makes him an elite player.

Victor Oladipo learned that the hard way. Oladipo was clearly amped up to play against his former team, especially after all the hype he's received of late. He ranked 10th in scoring entering Wednesday's game, and is fresh off a 47-point explosion.

However, Oladipo found himself with no space to operate as George hounded him at every turn, including on the final possession when George forced a difficult inbound pass, then denied the ball to eventually get the steal.

Oladipo outscored George 19 to 12, but he did his best Russell Westbrook impersonation by firing up a handful of contested looks as part of a 9-of-26 shooting performance. The few shots he did make came when he got switched onto Carmelo Anthony. Oladipo couldn't get anything going against the longer and quicker George.

Ultimately, it was the tireless play of Steven Adams that powered OKC to this much-needed win. His 23-point, 13-rebound performance bailed out another shockingly poor game from the Big Three. The Thunder's bench also deserves credit for putting in a rare positive shift.

Even though he was far from his best, George still got the last laugh.