76ers' Paul George offers positive quote on knee injury

On Sunday, the Philadelphia 76ers offered an update on seven-time All-Star center Joel Embiid. After announcing that Embiid would miss the team’s entire preseason, fans were restless ahead of Monday night’s game against the Atlanta Hawks.

A second-quarter injury scare certainly shakes things up even more for the 76ers.

Just a few minutes into the second quarter, the Sixers saw their nine-time All-Star forward Paul George go down. After going to the locker room to be examined by the team’s medical staff, George was ruled out for the remainder of the game.

It turns out the attacker was dealing with a knee hyperextension. The severity of the injury is currently unknown.

After the game, George made himself available to reporters to address the incident. The All-Star forward mentioned he is “not too worried” about the setback, according to The Inquisitor Gina Mizell. George is expected to undergo treatment on Monday night and proceed as needed.

I spoke to Paul George in the locker room post-game. He had his sleeve on his knee, but was walking and said he was “not too worried” about the prognosis. I will have treatment tonight and go from there. More will come later.

-Gina Mizell (@ginamizell) October 15, 2024

While George’s personnel update doesn’t lay out a potential timeline, the outlook is positive so far. When 76ers coach Nick Nurse addressed reporters after the game for a routine press conference, the coach mentioned that he is hopeful the setback won’t keep George off the court for long.

Over the summer, the Sixers acquired George via free agency. After a five-year stint with the Los Angeles Clippers, George declined his player option and became an unrestricted free agent. There were several options on the table for George, but he was quite intrigued by the Sixers and their offer to sign a long-term contract.

The star trio of George, Embiid and Tyrese Maxey have not yet had the chance to share the court in a game setting. With Embiid ruled out of the first four preseason games and beyond, the earliest the trio could debut would be Oct. 23, when the Sixers host the Milwaukee Bucks in the season opener.

While that date remains a potential debut opportunity, recent developments surrounding Embiid and George leave some uncertainty at this point.