76ers Coach Dishes Latest on Paul George Before Kings Matchup

Nick Nurse discussed Paul George ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers' matchup against the Kings.
Jan 29, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George warms up before a game against the Sacramento Kings at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Jan 29, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George warms up before a game against the Sacramento Kings at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Just as Paul George felt healthy enough to compete in both matchups of a back-to-back set, the Philadelphia 76ers’ forward suffered a new setback over the weekend, which has taken him off the court for another stretch of games.

When the Sixers battled it out against the Chicago Bulls last Saturday, George was not able to finish the matchup in the second half. After getting ruled out, George joined his teammates on the bench in street clothes.

After the game, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse confirmed George would undergo an MRI to see what kind of finger injury he is dealing with.

When the Sixers returned to the practice court on Monday, George was not a participant.

Paul Georg
Jan 24, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) drives against Cleveland Cavaliers forward Georges Niang (20) during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers, the Sixers made an official announcement to reveal his diagnosis. George is dealing with an extensor tendon injury on his left finger.

Nick Nurse later described George’s timeline as day-to-day, adding he hoped for an update ahead of Wednesday’s game against the Sacramento Kings.

“We’re still waiting there,” Nurse admitted before the Sixers tipped off against the Kings.

“They are trying to figure out some ways to get him on the court so that his finger’s okay with the way that it’s going to be taped or bandaged, or casted, or splinted, or whatever the options are, then he can hopefully, keep it safe and get out there in something that he’s comfortable with and as soon as we get to that point, we should be in a pretty good place.”

George was seen getting shots up ahead of Wednesday’s action. As expected, he was ruled out for the second game in a row against the Kings.

The Sixers will return to the floor on Friday night to face the Denver Nuggets. For now, George’s status for the matchup is unknown.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA  Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation.  Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association.  Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA