Sixers' Paul George discusses tailing off vs. Knicks after hot starts

TL;DR

Paul George of the Philadelphia 76ers has struggled to maintain his scoring after strong starts in the playoff series against the New York Knicks. In recent games, he has scored well initially but failed to contribute in later quarters.

Key points

Paul George scored 15 points in the first quarter of Game 3
He went scoreless on 0-for-9 shooting after the first quarter
George had a similar pattern in Game 2 with 11 points initially

Philadelphia 76ersNew York KnicksPaul George

PHILADELPHIA -- In order for the Philadelphia 76ers to have a chance in this Round 2 series with the New York Knicks, they need Paul George to be a consistent offensive contributor. He has gotten off to hot starts in this series, but has been unable to sustain them.

In Friday's Game 3 loss to the Knicks, George scored 15 points on 6-for-9 shooting in the first quarter as he was able to get cooking early. He then went scoreless on 0-for-9 shooting the rest of the way. In Wednesday's Game 2 loss, George had 11 points on 4-for-6 shooting in the first quarter. He then scored eight points on 3-for-12 shooting the rest of the way--including an 0-for-5 fourth quarter.

Now, basketball can be a make-or-miss game. It comes down to having a rhythm and George is a player who relies on that rhythm in order to get going on the offensive end and give the Sixers a much-needed offensive presence next to Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid.

"I think just ebbs and flows," said George after the Game 3 loss. "I think in those situations just, obviously, I get off to a good start, get a good rhythm, and then those shots that come after. It's always after getting checked out and checked back in the game, and then just trying to find it again. I think I just got to get to where I get the easy one to get back into the game."

Getting himself some easy looks will go a long way toward George getting back in a rhythm when he does check back into the game after his initial rest. He is somebody who will never stop shooting and will look for his own offense. Instead of looking for an open 3-pointer, he should be looking to get something easy off the catch and give the Sixers some offensive production that way.

"I think a lot of those 3-pointers coming back out, which those don't drop, and I want to shoot more," George finished. "That's been kind of the emphasis, to shoot more 3s and get more 3s up, but I got to find moments where to just get an easy one. Get back into a rhythm."

George and the Sixers will look to stave off elimination in Game 4 on Sunday afternoon.

This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Sixers' Paul George discusses tailing off vs. Knicks after hot starts

Q&A

What did Paul George say about his performance against the Knicks?

Paul George mentioned that he needs to find his rhythm after being checked out and back into the game, which affects his scoring consistency.

How did Paul George perform in the recent playoff games against the Knicks?

In Game 3, he scored 15 points in the first quarter but finished with no points afterward, while in Game 2, he had 11 points initially but only scored eight more points for the rest of the game.

Why is Paul George's scoring important for the Sixers against the Knicks?

His scoring is crucial for the Sixers to compete effectively, as he provides a necessary offensive presence alongside Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid.