Paul George unhappy with boos in return as Clippers beat 76ers

Paul George got the basketball on the wing and those same Clippers fans who cheered and adored him during the five years he was one of their own … booed him.

The boos from the crowd at the Intuit Dome rained down on George all game because he’s now a Philadelphia 76er. The fans even booed when the Clippers showed a tribute video of his highlights with L.A. during a timeout.

Over the offseason, George shunned the Clippers’ final contract offer of three years and $150 million and instead took a four-year deal from the 76ers for $212 million. He had wanted a no-trade clause as part of his deal with the Clippers, but they were unwilling to do that.

George was back in town for the first time since departing Wednesday night, and the fans let him know how they felt about him leaving a team they had hoped he and Kawhi Leonard would lead to an NBA title.

Before the game, George slapped hands with his former teammates sitting on the bench and hugged Coach Tyronn Lue. Then he was treated unsentimentally by his former team in the Clippers’ 110-98 victory.

George, who had 18 points and seven rebounds, didn’t understand why he was booed by the fans.

“It’s stupid,” George said. “I mean, I was a free agent. It wasn’t something that I demanded a trade or went against the team here. Like, I was a free agent. The team presented something that was team-friendly, and I did what was best for me in that situation. So, there were some cheers. I appreciate them. Those were the ones that I played hard for. The boos, I didn’t get it. I still don’t get it … But it is what it is. It’s sports. That’s what’s in sports. Yeah, I look forward to next year being here and more boos.”

It was George’s second game of the season, the star forward having missed the first five games with his new team because of a left knee injury. His old running mate Leonard missed his eighth straight game because of right knee inflammation.

The two Southland natives had made the Clippers a perennial power in the Western Conference, the highlight coming when George led them to their first conference finals in 2021.

“It was great. They booed him,” Lue said, smiling. “They tried to get him out of his game even though he didn’t miss too many shots. But now they can cheer for him tomorrow.”

It was the Clippers’ first double-digit win and their second straight win at home after an 0-4 start there.

And again, they were led by Norman Powell, who had 26 points on eight-for-10 shooting and six for eight on three-pointers. It was his seventh consecutive game scoring 20 or more. He also had six assists and was on point with his defense, another signal that Powell is developing into an all-around player.

“I’m not really happy about my play,” Powell said. “I just think that I can always get better in areas. I’m not talking to the coaches after the game or in timeouts about the shot I made or a defensive play I made. It’s the blown assignments or the turnovers that I have and just trying to better, trying to be a complete player.”