Russell Westbrook, Thunder Beat Jazz in Game 1 Behind Paul George's 36 Points
The Oklahoma City Thunder took a 1-0 series lead over the Utah Jazz in the 2018 NBA playoffs following a 116-108 victory at home at Chesapeake Energy Arena.
Paul George led all scorers with 36 points on 13-of-20 shooting. George hit eight-three-pointers, which tied a franchise record, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
Earlier this week, George brought up his postseason alter ego, "Playoff P," telling reporters it's "an out-of-body person" when he flips the switch, per the Norman Transcript's Fred Katz. While the comment initially raised some eyebrows, many were quick to jump aboard the "Playoff P" bandwagon:
Sunday's game is a perfect example of why the Thunder acquired George prior to the season.
Russell Westbrook had 29 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists, yet he turned the ball over five times and was 10-of-25 from the field and 0-of-4 from beyond the arc. This time last year, Westbrook's turnovers and inefficient shooting might have doomed Oklahoma City.
Instead, George took a lot of pressure off Westbrook, and SiriusXM NBA Radio's Justin Termine went so far as to say the five-time All-Star could mean a lot more for the Thunder:
Granted, George and Westbrook accounted for more than half of Oklahoma City's total scoring, which may not be sustainable over the duration of the playoffs. But having two players of George and Westbrook's caliber draws a stark contrast between the Thunder and the Jazz that could be the difference in this series.
The Jazz jumped out to an early 16-4 lead before the Thunder went on a 12-0 run to tie it with a little over three minutes left in the first quarter.
Utah didn't necessarily lose the game in the first quarter, but it squandered a great opportunity to take the home crowd out of the game early. Instead of being up double digits heading into the second quarter, the Jazz were tied at 25 with the Thunder.
Although Donovan Mitchell played well (27 points, 10 rebounds), the Jazz's lack of a secondary scoring option was a large reason for the team's poor end to the first quarter, as well as its failure to repeat its hot stretch to open the game.
Rudy Gobert finished 6-of-8 for 14 points, which was about the most the Jazz could expect from the French big man given his limited range, and Joe Ingles and Jae Crowder combined to score 26 points.
Derrick Favors connected on three of his seven shots for just seven points, and Ricky Rubio finished with 18 total field-goal attempts, which Katz thought was good news for the Thunder:
The Jazz finished a respectable 15th in offensive rating (106.2) during the regular season, per NBA.com, but Sunday illustrated how Utah's limitations on offense can be a big problem in the postseason. Beyond Mitchell, the Jazz lack a player who can single-handedly change a game with his scoring.
And Hoop magazine's Josh Eberley also noted how Mitchell's duties weren't limited to offense. In addition to being Utah's primary scorer, he was frequently matched up against George on defense:
Putting so much on the shoulders of a rookie is a recipe for disaster in the postseason.
The Jazz were one of the best defensive teams in the NBA, and that defense could help Utah advance to the second round and beyond this season. But the Jazz stand little chance when they allow their opponents to shoot 48.2 percent from the field and go 14-of-29 from beyond the arc.
Jazz head coach Quin Snyder will work tirelessly to devise a defensive game plan that neutralizes George ahead of Game 2 on Wednesday. Even if he's successful in that pursuit, it may not be enough to even the series if Utah can't find somebody to supplement Mitchell offensively.
