Paul George 'Super Relieved' He and Kawhi Got Cleared from COVID-19 Protocol

Los Angeles Clippers star Paul George said Friday he was "super relieved" to find out he and teammate Kawhi Leonard cleared the NBA's COVID-19 health and safety protocols after just four days.

"We were playing so well, it was unfortunate that we had to take a hiatus, but safety's first," George told reporters after the team's 116-90 win over the Orlando Magic. "We acknowledge that first and foremost."

The duo missed two games, a loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday and a win over the Miami Heat on Thursday.

"It was a bummer because we were on a good roll, and me and PG go out," Leonard said. "That's my mindset around it. Just want to play basketball and wanting to keep building on our chemistry and get better, but understand what the protocols are, and it was a chance for guys to step up and play a bigger role."

Neither All-Star missed a beat in their return to the Clippers lineup against the Magic.

George tallied 26 points, nine rebounds, five assists and two steals in 28 minutes. Leonard added 24 points, four boards and three dimes in 29 minutes. L.A. as a whole shot 48.9 percent from the field after shooting below 42 percent in both of the games their franchise cornerstones missed.

The Clippers have enough depth to play without one of them for a short period of time, but trying to create offense without either one available was often a struggle.

"On a night where guys were a little tired, just having their presence was huge and that was big for us," Los Angeles head coach Tyronn Lue said. "They were just making plays for everybody else and making the game easy."

The Clippers are off to a strong start as they attempt to last the disappointment of last season's playoff exit firmly in the rearview mirror. They hold a 15-5 record, which puts them second in the Western Conference behind only the Utah Jazz (15-4).

L.A. will face off with the New York Knicks on Sunday afternoon, but the more intriguing matchup comes Tuesday night when it takes on the new-look Brooklyn Nets, who've started to show off their tremendous offensive potential following the trade for James Harden.

With Leonard and George having cleared protocols and Brooklyn's Kevin Durant sitting out Friday's win over the Oklahoma City Thunder for routine maintenance as he returns to full strength from his Achilles injury, all signs point to both teams being at full strength for Tuesday's clash.

It'll be a terrific litmus test for both teams as they continue to build toward championship form.