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Paul George’s Playing Status for 76ers-Pistons

Will Paul George return for the 76ers to face the Pistons?

Justin Grasso

Nov 10, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) warms up before action against the Charlotte Hornets during the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Nov 10, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) warms up before action against the Charlotte Hornets during the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
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After getting another two-day break in between games, the Philadelphia 76ers are set to face the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night.

When the Sixers held a practice session in Camden on Friday, they hoped to have some key players back in the mix. The nine-time All-Star forward, Paul George, practiced as a full participant for the first time in over a week. While that was a positive sign ahead of the Pistons matchup, George still wasn’t cleared right away.

According to the Sixers injury report, George was questionable due to a bone bruise on his knee. He suffered the setback in last Wednesday’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies.

After going through a day of practice and testing his knee out during pregame warmups in Detroit, George is set to play for the Sixers on Saturday night.

George started off his Sixers tenure on a rocky note. Due to suffering the same injury in the preseason, George failed to suit up for the first five games of the 2024-2025 NBA season.

Finally, on November 4, he made his debut against the Phoenix Suns. George ended up playing in the next five games in a row. He averaged 17 points, six rebounds, and five assists while shooting 43 percent from the field and 31 percent from three.

On the second night of a back-to-back, George was given the night off. He returned in the following game. Over the next three-game stretch, George averaged just 11 points on 29 percent shooting from the field, along with five rebounds and four assists.

Amid a 17-minute shift in Memphis, George went out to get his knee checked out. That’s when he found out he would miss additional time.

Since leaving that matchup on November 20, George has remained on the bench for the Sixers’ last three games. Earlier this week, he was hopeful of returning before the Sixers reach December.

It turns out that will be the case. The Sixers and the Pistons are slated for a 7 PM ET tip-off.

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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

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