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Philadelphia 76ers Reveal Paul George’s Playing Status vs Cavaliers

Will Paul George face the Cavaliers on Saturday?

Justin Grasso

Dec 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George before action against the Indiana Pacers at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Dec 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George before action against the Indiana Pacers at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
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Just one night after taking care of business at home against the Charlotte Hornets, the Philadelphia 76ers hit the road to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night.

All season long, the Sixers have missed two-thirds of their All-Star trio for the second matchup of back-to-back sets. Following Friday’s game, Sixers forward Paul George mentioned that he hoped to break the trend on Saturday in Cleveland.

"I want to try to continue to keep fighting," George told reporters. "My body is allowing me to so just want to continue to keep momentum going with this unit. We've been playing well and I feel good. I feel good so I'm gonna continue to lace it up."

Sixers head coach Nick Nurse was pretty sure George would play on Saturday, going as far as saying the nine-time All-Star was “in” against the Cavs. However, the NBA official injury report showed a status that showed there could be some uncertainty surrounding George’s official status.

The team described George as questionable due to a knee impingement. Still, Nick Nurse was under the belief that George had a good shot at playing.

Fortunately for the Sixers, everything has gone right. George is feeling and looking good enough to play in his first back-to-back set this season, and the veteran’s longest streak of appearances on the Sixers so far continues on Saturday night.

Back in early November, George played in five straight games after making his debut. He sat out on the second night of a back-to-back to break the streak.

On December 6, George returned from a one-game absence. Since then, he hasn’t missed any action. In the four games leading up to the matchup against Charlotte, George was averaging 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists. In Friday’s win over the Hornets, he produced five points, ten rebounds, and eight assists.

Saturday’s game marks George’s 16th appearance this year. The Sixers and the Cavs are set for an 8 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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