Paul George’s Playing Status for Sixers-Celtics Preseason

Will Paul George face the Boston Celtics on Saturday?

Dec 23, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George (13) dribbles the ball against Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown (7) during the third quarter at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images / Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

At last, the Philadelphia 76ers had a chance to see Paul George in action on Friday night. In a game that took place in Iowa against the Minnesota Timberwolves, George debuted for the Sixers.

On Saturday night, the Sixers will be back out on the floor for a matchup against the Boston Celtics. Since it’s the second night of a back-to-back set, George’s playing status heading into the night came into question.

As Nick Nurse hinted, George would not get the nod to play on Saturday night. With a much different look to the starting five, the Sixers will roll with Ricky Council and KJ Martin at the two forward spots in Boston.

While the Sixers didn’t have their full All-Star trio on board Friday night, the team was encouraged by the star wing’s performance playing alongside Tyrese Maxey.

George put up 15 shots from the field, with nine of his attempts coming from beyond the arc. The veteran hit on eight of his shots and saw half of his scoring production come from deep.

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When Nick Nurse pulled George from the rotation in the third quarter, the veteran start finished the game with a match-high 23 points. He also had six rebounds, two assists, and one steal to go with his impressive debut.

The Sixers wouldn’t go on to defeat the Timberwolves on the road. In the end, they came up short with a 121-111 loss. Now, they have to quickly bounce back and take on the Celtics on Saturday.

Nick Nurse revealed that starters who played in Friday’s game would likely get the night off on Saturday. Since George has already been on a resting plan, his absence from Saturday’s game was expected before he debuted on Friday in Iowa.

At this point, preseason is only needed to get into optimal game shape for George. Being in the NBA since 2010, George has more than enough experience, which should allow him to take some added time off during the exhibition schedule. As the Sixers are in for a long and important season, keeping George healthy and fresh is a top priority.

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