LOS ANGELES _ The debut of the Los Angeles Clippers' superstar duo never materialized Saturday.
Instead, fans saw a one-man show.
With Kawhi Leonard absent for his fourth game of the season, Paul George provided a commanding performance in his first home game as a Clipper by scoring 37 points in 20 minutes in his team's 150-101 victory over Atlanta at Staples Center.
The victory ended a two-game losing streak and also provided further evidence that George, who hadn't played in 207 days until he scored 33 points in 24 minutes during his season debut Thursday, is already far along in his progression back to the court after offseason surgery on both shoulders. George called that performance "terrible," in part because it occurred during a loss in New Orleans.
He didn't grade Saturday's effort so critically.
"It means everything," George said afterward, on the television broadcast. "I could get used to this."
When he went to the bench with 8:07 remaining in the third quarter, George had already scored 34 points in his first 18 minutes. Had he not returned for the fourth quarter, it would not have been shocking. The Clippers (8-5) were already leading by double digits and there was no need for an encore. Fans had already chanted "6-6-1!" during his free-throw attempts _ the number for the area code of Palmdale, where George grew up.
But then, during the break between the third and fourth quarters, George wiped his shiny, silver sneakers on a traction pad at the scorer's table and returned to the court.
Within 18 seconds, George caught a pass from JaMychal Green and drilled a three-pointer from 28 feet, and as he jogged backward on defense, he shrugged while rapper Quavo cheered from a courtside seat. Four possessions later, he provided an emphatic coda on his first home game as a Clipper when he sprinted ahead of Atlanta's defense in transition and bounced a pass off the backboard that was caught and dunked by teammate Montrezl Harrell.
When George finally checked out for good shortly thereafter, Hall of Famer Jerry West, a Clippers adviser, was among the fans who rose to applaud.
Lou Williams added 25 points off the bench and Jerome Robinson scored a career-high 21 points.
Leonard did not play because of a left knee contusion suffered Wednesday after knocking knees against Houston_a different injury than the ongoing tendon issue in the same knee that has been the basis for his three previous absences this season. Coach Doc Rivers said he was not concerned about the contusion being anything more than a "day-to-day" injury.
Starting guard Patrick Beverley missed his second consecutive game, as well, with a hurt left calf and another starting guard, Landry Shamet watched in street clothes with the help of a crutch, the result of a sprained ankle he suffered four days before.
While the Clippers' star went off, the Hawks' struggled.
Second-year guard Trae Young was called "amazing" by Rivers before tipoff for a sophomore season that has seen the 6-foot-1 guard average huge numbers _ 27.3 points and 9.1 assists, including 32 points and 11.5 assists in his last four entering Saturday.
"We look at his size, he's a tough dude," Rivers said. "He's got this cutthroat, killer attitude."
By halftime, however, Young had made only two of his first 11 field goals and he finished with 20 points on 4-of-16 shooting, with six assists and five rebounds. Atlanta (4-8) never recovered without Young's production. Clippers guard Rodney McGruder picked Young up with full-court pressure at times, and on others a second player stood at the midcourt line to force a trap. Young couldn't find the room to operate.
George had no such trouble, however.
