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    COLUMN: Paul George isn't a superstar; he's just paid like one

    When the lights were at its brightest, PG-13 showed more nerves than guts
    Jun 27, 2021
    PHOTO: AP
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    CHICAGO - It was the biggest game of his basketball life.

    The city of Los Angeles - wounded by a pandemic and still grieving over the early elimination of the more glamorous, more beloved Lakers - on his back.

    His legacy was at stake, too. All the chips on the table.

    So what did Paul George do?

    He folded and went 5-for-20 from the field, 1-for-9 from 3, and missed six free throws. He also had two turnovers and six fouls in 42 tense, uncomfortable minutes.

    And when the lights were at its brightest, PG showed more nerves than guts.

    Paul George in Game Four against the Suns.

    Certainly the best and most decorated Clipper on the floor after the injured Kawhi Leonard had left the scene, PG-13, a seven-time All-Star, was unsure and unsteady. He served a plateful of ugly to a hungry, expectant crowd of 18,222 who showed up at Staples Center.

    It was a mini performance from a max player who earns $35.4 million this season plus another $190 million until 2025.

    A video shot of Clippers owner Steve Ballmer dropping his head in agony after George missed a free throw in the final 6.3 seconds with the Suns ahead, 81-78, said it all.

    Buyer's remorse.

    Phoenix 84. Los Angeles 80.

    The Suns are one win away from the NBA Finals.

    The Clippers are one game away from heartache.

    AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN.......

    The Suns did everything to lose Game 4. They squandered a 16-point lead. They shot just 31-of-86 from the field (36 percent) and 4-of-20 from three (20 percent). They had 14 turnovers.

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    This series should have been knotted at 2-2 and the Suns should have taken the short flight back home to Arizona with plenty to think about while carrying the heavy luggage of "what if" on the cargo area.

    But it's 3-1 instead because George is not a taker while the Clippers are a perennial doormat that always gets trampled on.

    This was the moment to shine for Paul George, a chance to silence the doubters and prove once and for all that he is a transcendent superstar who can carry a team on his 6-foot-8, 220-pound frame.

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      But when it was time to meet the moment on the intersection and redemption and glory, the 31-year old made a weird, wrong turn.

      And he arrives at a place where the "P" in Playoff P turned into pathetic.

      Paul George is not a superstar. He just gets paid like one.

      Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph

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      PHOTO: AP
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