Paul George is back, now playing for the Philadelphia 76ers.
He scored 15 points in his first game after recovering from a left knee injury on Monday night, but he described his performance as “rusty.”
“The good thing about it is I was able to go out there and compete, free of any thoughts of my body holding up. I felt completely fine,” George said after playing 32 minutes in a 118-116 loss to the Phoenix Suns.
George shot 4 out of 14 from the field and missed a chance to tie the game in the final moments. After the game, he explained that he thought the 76ers were only down by one point instead of two. He also struggled with foul trouble, didn’t score in the first quarter, and committed seven of Philadelphia’s 14 turnovers.
However, he found his rhythm and finished with five rebounds and four assists.
“As the game was going, I felt great,” said the nine-time All-Star. “My knee was better than expected. I wanted to play through that, build the endurance up, and help me through the next couple of games.”
George, now 34, signed a four-year, $212 million contract with Philadelphia after spending five seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Before the game, 76ers head coach Nick Nurse gave an update on center Joel Embiid, who is also out due to a sore left knee. Nurse said, “He is doing a little bit better, making steps in the right direction.” The coach added that the 7-foot Embiid will be re-evaluated on Tuesday. Philadelphia’s next game is Wednesday night in Los Angeles against the Clippers.
