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Phoenix Suns Spoil Paul George’s 76ers Debut

Paul George made his 76ers debut against the Suns.

Justin Grasso

Nov 4, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) protects the ball against the Phoenix Suns during the first half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
Nov 4, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) protects the ball against the Phoenix Suns during the first half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images / Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
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At last, the Philadelphia 76ers got Paul George on the court during the regular season.

After the nine-time All-Star recovered from a bone bruise in his knee, which he suffered during the preseason, George debuted during the Sixers’ Monday night matchup against the Phoenix Suns.

While Philadelphia kept the game tight on the road for the start of a road trip, they couldn’t make it out on top. The Sixers fell short with a 118-116 loss.

On a personal level, George checked in for 31 minutes. Heading into the game, he was expected to be a minutes restriction for the night.

From the field, George put up 13 shots. Seven of his attempts came from beyond the arc. George struggled from deep, making just one of his three-point attempts. Six of his points came from the charity stripe. He finished the game with 15 points.

George also collected five rebounds and dished out four assists. He led the Sixers in turnovers with seven total.

While it wasn’t George’s sharpest shooting night, it was clear the presence of the All-Star forward alone made a huge difference in a great way for the Sixers. Throughout the start of the 2024-2025 season, most of the attention has been on Tyrese Maxey, whose usage has been much higher than usual.

With a strong presence on the court with him, Maxey remained aggressive and had an efficient shooting night. The one-time All-Star knocked down 12 of his 23 shots, collecting six makes from three. With two free throws added, Maxey led the Sixers in scoring with 32 points.

The 76ers brought the game down to the wire and nearly tied up the matchup to force overtime in the final seconds. George managed to get the shot off by creating his own shot in the final few seconds. Unfortunately, he was unsuccessful.

With that loss, the Sixers dropped to 1-5 on the season. They hope that with time, the George-Maxey combo continues to grow, and the eventual presence of Joel Embiid helps the 76ers take a major leap in the right direction.

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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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