#Paul George emerges from ‘dark place’ in Clippers’ blowout win

Paul George was battling more than just the Mavericks during his early playoff woes.

The Clippers star struggled mightily in Games 2-4 and revealed Tuesday night he was dealing with anxiety and depression while being confined to the NBA’s bubble.

But George came back with a force Tuesday, getting his mind in a better spot and dropping 35 points in a Game 5 win over the Mavericks.

“Whatever it was, the bubble got the best of me,” George said an a TNT interview after the game. “I was just in a dark place. I really wasn’t here, I checked out. These past couple games, it was just difficult. Shout out to the people that stood behind me, that were in my corner. The positivity, my teammates, my family, friends, everybody. Thank you to everybody who 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.”

After scoring 27 points on 10-of-22 shooting in the series opener, George entered into a funk over the next three games. He shot just 10-for-47 from the field, averaging 11.3 points per game as the Mavericks evened up the series 2-2 and George took plenty of heat for his disappointing performances.

But George bounced back in Game 5, shooting 12-for-18 and then opening up about the mental challenges of playing in the NBA’s isolated environment that was necessitated by the pandemic. He said talks with the Clippers’ team psychiatrist and others close to him helped get him in a better head space.

“I underestimated mental health, honestly,” George told reporters. “I had anxiety. A little bit of depression. Just being locked in here. I just wasn’t there. I checked out.

“Games 2, 3, 4, I wasn’t there. I felt like I wasn’t there. Shout-out to the people that were in my corner, that gave me words. They helped big time, help get me right, [get] me back in great spirits. I can’t thank them enough.”