76ers’ Paul George Diagnosed With Bone Bruise in Left Knee

Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George has a bone bruise in his left knee and will be reevaluated in one week. However, the nine-time All-Star did not suffer any structural damage, the team announced Tuesday.

George, 34, sustained the injury when his knee buckled on a defensive play in the second quarter of Monday’s 104-89 victory at the Atlanta Hawks. He was ruled out of the game with a hyperextended knee.

“Everything checks out OK,” coach Nick Nurse told reporters Tuesday at the team’s New Jersey complex. George attended Tuesday’s practice. George was not scheduled to play in Wednesday’s preseason game against Brooklyn.

Philadelphia 76ers star Paul George has a bone bruise and no structural damage to his left knee and will be re-evaluated in approximately one week, team says. pic.twitter.com/1Jhuuig17X

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 15, 2024

Nurse added the 76ers plan to do imaging later in the day, tweets Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports. Per multiple reports, George will likely remain out for the rest of Philadelphia’s preseason.

“I felt that it hyperextended, and immediately it was, all right, I need to get taken out and [looked at], but if you ask me, I’m not too concerned about it,” George told The Philadelphia Inquirer after Monday’s game.

Paul George signed a four-year, $212 million max contract with the Philadelphia 76ers during the offseason

During the offseason, George joined the 76ers on a four-year, $212 million max contract. The Fresno State product inked his deal after he declined a player option in his contract with the Los Angeles Clippers for $48.8 million in 2024-2025.

Philadelphia had already ruled out Joel Embiid for the rest of the preseason Sunday. The 7-footer suffered a left knee injury last season that limited him to 39 games.

76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey recently told ESPN’s Tim Bontemps that both stars will “probably not play many back-to-backs, if any” this season.

Embiid has missed 204 games over the past eight seasons and sat out his first two years in the NBA with foot injuries. His knee injury last season limited him to just 39 regular-season appearances.

Additionally, George appeared in 74 games last season in his final year with the Clippers, his most since 2019. He’d played no more than 56 games in each of his prior four seasons with L.A.

The 76ers open the 2024-25 season next Wednesday, Oct. 23 against the Milwaukee Bucks.