Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George, a nine-time NBA All-Star, suffered a left knee injury Tuesday while helping Philadelphia cruise to a 113-94 preseason win over the Atlanta Hawks. The 76ers confirmed that George hyper-extended his left knee while guarding Atlanta’s Jalen Johnson during the first half of the game.
George, who signed with the 76ers as a free agent this off-season, played for just over 12 minutes before his preseason debut concluded after scoring eight points on 3-of-5 shooting, along with two rebounds, an assist, and a steal.
“I felt the hyper-extension and knew I needed to get it checked out, but I’m not too worried about it,” George said post-game.
Despite the injury, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse sounded positive, declaring he expects George to be back “immediately.”
This is a body blow for George a day after the 76ers said Joel Embiid would be kept out of all preseason games under the management plan for his own surgically repaired left knee.
