Paul George’s Playing Status for 76ers-Clippers on Sunday

Will Paul George face the Clippers on Sunday?
Nov 6, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) moves to the basket against Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (1) and guard Terance Mann (14) during the second half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Nov 6, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) moves to the basket against Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (1) and guard Terance Mann (14) during the second half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Earlier this month, the Los Angeles Clippers had a chance to go head-to-head with their old friend, Paul George. When the Clippers and the Philadelphia 76ers meet on Sunday, George will not be a part of the action.

Once again, George is dealing with a knee injury. As a result, he’s been missing some time and hopes to have a better idea of his recovery timeline sometime early next week.

On Sunday, the Sixers won’t have the presence of George or the All-Star center, Joel Embiid. As the Sixers faced the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night, Embiid went from being left off of the injury report to getting downgraded to questionable. Shortly before the game tipped off, the Sixers ruled him out.

It was revealed that Embiid was dealing with swelling in the knee. The Sixers ruled him out for the Clippers matchup, too, joining George after he was ruled out a few days in advance.

On Wednesday, the Sixers paid a visit to the Memphis Grizzlies. George was active for his third straight game. As he was 17 minutes into his shift for the night, the veteran forward hyperextended his knee, coming down with a rebound. He left the court without a return.

George wrapped up the loss in Memphis with two points, four rebounds, and two assists on 16 percent shooting. The Sixers believed that George suffered the same injury as before.

An MRI revealed that was the case. With no structural damage in sight, George was diagnosed with a bone bruise. The Sixers ruled him out for two games, with plans to re-evaluate him ahead of next Wednesday’s game against the Houston Rockets.

Sunday’s game will mark George’s eighth absence this season. When the 2024-2025 regular season started, George was recovering from a bone bruise. He missed five games before returning with a strict minutes restriction for a handful of matchups.

Soon, the 76ers will have a better idea of George’s recovery timeline this time around. For the time being, they are focused on facing the Clippers while shorthanded.


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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