It began with a hug.
Reggie Jackson had just hit a running floater to put the finishing touches on a 14-2 run and give the Clippers a three-point lead with 36.7 seconds to play. OKC called timeout, and as Jackson walked to the bench, Paul George — who was responsible for 11 points and numerous stops in that stretch — met his buddy for an embrace at halfcourt.
“That shot can change his rhythm, that shot right there,” George had said after the victory over the Thunder. “It was really the biggest shot of the night to seal it and give us that three-point cushion.