Sixers All-Star forward Paul George departed Philadelphia’s matchup against the Grizzlies on Wednesday after hyperextending his left knee, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
It’s the same knee that caused George to miss time to start the season. He hyperextended it in a preseason game on October 14 and didn’t make his regular season debut until November 4.
There are no updates yet on whether the latest setback will force George to the sidelines again or how much time he might miss. The 6’8″ vet will presumably undergo further testing and imaging to determine the severity of the injury.
If George is forced to miss time again, it will further delay the efforts of Philadelphia’s new big three of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and George to establish chemistry with their teammates and with each other. The three All-Stars hadn’t all been active for the same game until Wednesday; the trio has still yet to make it through a full contest together.
Across his seven healthy games prior to Wednesday, George had been averaging 16.7 points per game on .396/.288/.815 shooting splits, his lowest scoring output since an injury-shortened six-game stint in 2014/15. The 34-year-old had also been logging 5.6 boards, 5.1 assists, and 2.4 steals per night.
Embiid has only appeared in four of Philadelphia’s 14 contests this year, while Maxey has been available for eight.
The Sixers ultimately fell to Memphis on Wednesday, 117-111. The loss puts Philadelphia in the NBA’s cellar with a league-worst 2-12 record.
