Paul George gets a rude awakening on his return to LA when the Clippers defeat the 76ers

Paul George took the basketball to the wing and the same Clippers fans who cheered and idolized him during the five years he was one of their own booed him.

Boos from the sparse crowd in the Intuit Dome rained down on George throughout the game because he was now a Philadelphia 76er. Fans even booed George when the Clippers showed a tribute video of his LA highlights on the Halo Board during a timeout in the first quarter.

George had shunned the Clippers' final offer of three years and $150 million and instead accepted a four-year deal from the 76ers for $212 million. George had wanted a no-trade clause as part of his deal with the Clippers, but they weren't willing to do that.

He was back in town Wednesday night for the first time since his departure, and fans let him know what they thought about him leaving a team that they had hoped would lead him (and Kawhi Leonard) to an NBA title would lead.

Before the game, George clapped his former teammates on the bench and hugged coach Tyronn Lue. Then he was treated unruly by his former team in the Clippers' 110-98 win over the 76ers.

George, who had 18 points and seven rebounds, explained why things didn't work out between him and the Clippers.

“I don't think people realize that business is business,” George told reporters at a shootout Wednesday morning. “You made a business decision that works for the organization, and that’s fine. I made a business decision that worked for me and my family. And, you know, once again, there's no love lost. I still appreciate and love these guys. But it's… It's part of the business. I don’t accept any ill will.”

It was George's second game of the season after missing the first five games with a left knee injury. His old vice president, Kawhi Leonard, missed his eighth straight game because of inflammation in his right knee.

But the two had made the Clippers famous in NBA circles. The highlight was when George led them to the Western Conference Finals in 2021, the first time in franchise history they had reached that level.

“Everything in between was great,” Lue said. “Being with him for how long, five years? I think it's great when you have a two-way player like PG who does that on both sides. He achieved some great success for us and helped us advance further as an organization to the conference finals than ever before, so we had some great years together.”

It was the Clippers' first double-digit win of the season and their second straight home win.

And again they were led by Norman Powell, who scored 26 points on eight-for-10 shooting and six-for-eight on three-point shooting. It was his seventh straight game in which he scored over 20 points.