Paul George admits he was in a ‘dark place’

Paul George broke out with a big game on Tuesday night to give his Los Angeles Clippers a Game 5 win over the Dallas Mavericks, and that may be the turning point for him.

George led the Clippers with 35 points in a convincing 154-111 win over the Mavericks to take a 3-2 lead in the first-round playoff series.

After the game, George was interviewed by TNT’s Jared Greenberg and gave some incredibly raw answers.

“The bubble got the best of me,” George admitted. “I was just in a dark place. I really wasn’t here. I checked out. These past couple games, it was just difficult. But, shout out to the people who stood behind me, that was in my corner. The positivity, my family, friends. Everybody. Thank everybody that reached out to me.

“I was just in a bad place. I found my way, I’m back, and I look forward to the rest of this run,” he said.

George then expressed the difficulty of playing in the fan-less bubble atmosphere in Orlando.

“For me, it was just hard to get into that playoff mode with no intensity here, no fans, no atmosphere. I was lost. I thought we created the energy. I came in with that mindset that this is Staples, we at home, the place is packed. I really had to psych myself out to get up. I thought the whole team took it and ran with it, and we decided to dictate this game.”

If George now has his mindset right, this could be huge for the Clippers. George was widely mocked for playing poorly early in the series against Dallas, but now his team has a 3-2 lead and could be on its way to bigger things.

Here is video of the interview:

“The bubble got the best of me… Shout out to everyone who stood behind me."

Paul George on his start to the playoffs. pic.twitter.com/eleprREKT9

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) August 26, 2020