The Clippers got closer to their projected starting lineup Wednesday, with Paul George making his 2021-22 debut. And for a half, the home team had a good thing going. But the Clippers rested their veterans in the second half, allowing the Sacramento Kings to run away with a 113-98 win.
The first look at an NBA-worthy Clippers lineup started with a number of bricked threes. Unfortunately the Kings, powered by De’Aaron Fox, were more accurate, and the first three and a half minutes saw the Clippers digging themselves into an early 12-2 deficit.
Getting to the simple actions, however — a lightly contested Reggie Jackson pull-up midrange shot, an Eric Bledsoe drive to dump off for the easy Ivica Zubac layup, and an insane off-balance baseline fadeaway from George — slightly slowed the bleeding.