Before even taking the court in the regular season for the Philadelphia 76ers, Paul George suffered a left knee injury that will complicate the beginning of his tenure with his new team.
During the second quarter of a preseason game against the Atlanta Hawks, George’s knee buckled after getting bumped and he was slow to get up. Although he was able to walk to the bench under his own power, he was subbed out at the next dead ball. The Sixers announced that George had suffered a left knee hyperextension, according to Gina Mizell of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Doesn’t look great for Paul George #sixers pic.twitter.com/gG1M5SRm9E
— DC (@DC3_PHILLY) October 15, 2024
76ers’ Paul George suffers left knee injury in preseason
George played 12 minutes against the Hawks, scoring eight points on 3-5 shooting. He played in just one of the 76ers’ previous preseason games, performing well against the Minnesota Timberwolves with 23 points in 26 minutes.
Per Mizell, George had a sleeve on his knee after the game and said he was “not too concerned.”
The 76ers said that Joel Embiid will not play in any preseason games as he undergoes a treatment plan for his knee and ramps up for the regular season gradually. After tweaking his knee, it seems very likely that George will also be held out for the remainder of Philly’s preseason. Although hyperextension is not typically a hard diagnosis of an injury, as noted by certified athletic trainer Jeff Stotts, it’s not a great development for Philly to deal with.
Re: Paul George: The term hyperextension is more of a descriptor of what happened to the knee than an actual diagnosis. Expect more tests to come. Injuries labeled as “hyperextended knee” result in an average time lost of 6.4 days.
— Jeff Stotts (@InStreetClothes) October 15, 2024
George played in 74 regular-season games last season but has a history of injuries and is entering his age-34 season. The 76ers were going to play things cautiously with George already but now will be busy evaluating his knee further.
The Sixers host the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday and face the Orlando Magic on Friday. Their first game of the regular season is at home on Wednesday, October 23 against the Milwaukee Bucks.
