Paul George’s first season with the Philadelphia 76ers is over. George, who hasn’t played since March 4, received injections in his left adductor muscle and his left knee, the team announced Monday. George is “medically unable to play” for six weeks and he joins Joel Embiid as Sixers stars who saw their seasons end early.
George has missed the last two weeks with left groin soreness. When he was last on the court, he was playing through pain with a splint on his left pinky finger — he missed five games after injuring the extensor tendon in that finger on Jan. 25 and, according to ESPN, needed painkillers before each of the five games in which he appeared leading up to the All-Star break.
George hyperextended his left knee in the preseason, delaying his regular-season debut until the Sixers’ sixth game. He hyperextended his left knee again on Nov. 20, his first appearance alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
George, who turns 35 in May, signed a four-year max contract with the Sixers last summer. He played in 41 games, averaging 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.8 steals in 32.5 minutes.
Embiid only played in 19 of Philadelphia’s games this season before the team announced on Feb. 28 that, after consulting with specialists about his injured left knee, he would “miss the remainder of the season to focus on treatment and rehabilitation.” Maxey has played in 52 games, but is currently sidelined with a lower back sprain and a finger sprain; like George, he hasn’t played since March 4.
The Sixers are 23-44 on the season and have lost 17 of their last 21 games. They are tied with the Toronto Raptors for the league’s sixth-worst record. If they finish the season fifth in the “tank standings,” they will have a 63.9% chance of keeping their top-six-protected first-round pick; if they finish sixth, they’ll have a 45.8% chance of keeping it.
