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Paul George · Hours removed from deciding to press pause on his podcast in an attempt to help right the Philadelphia 76ers’ season, Paul George — individually, at least — got the process rolling with a different kind of “mic drop” performance. Inside the storied venue that once chronicled his early-career big-game success as a visitor, George turned clocks back to 2013 during a crunchtime comeback bid. The first order of business arrived through a silky-smooth handle during a Spain pick-and-roll, opening up a world of possibilities, and ultimately, a double-clutch, over-the-head finish to offset OG Anunoby’s weak side help contest. Still reeling and on the floor’s other end with his opponents eager to take advantage, George benefits from the New York Knicks’ rushed approach, turning his teammate’s steal and outlet pass into a line-up-the-seams trifecta. George’s five-points-in-12-seconds sequence gave historic scoring outbursts in the Garden a run for their money, but New York’s execution ultimately prevailed. Superb nonetheless, George closed the evening with 25 points (on 9-of-20), alongside eight rebounds, seven assists, three steals, and four 3-pointers. · State of Mint