Paul George‘s debut with his new team will have to wait at least another two games.
The Philadelphia 76ers‘ star off-season acquisition will not play in the team’s upcoming two-game road trip as he continues to recover from a left knee bone bruise he suffered in a pre-season game, according to multiple reports.
An update on George’s status will be provided early next week.
The 76ers were without George and star centre Joel Embiid for their season opener on Wednesday — a 124-109 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. The Sixers are in Toronto to face the Raptors on Friday and then go to Indiana to face George’s old Pacers team on Sunday.
A nine-time All-Star, George was injured when his knee buckled on a defensive play in the second quarter of a game last week against Atlanta.
George has dealt with injuries for much of his career before he played 76 games for the Los Angeles Clippers last season, the first time he played more than 56 since 2018-19.
He discussed the bone bruise this week on his “Podcast P with Paul George,” saying his knee was stable with no major damage, and that there was not any long-term concern over his health.
“My leg literally just got stuck. I don’t even know what else to call it. Just my knee locked up, my leg locked up,” George said on his podcast. “When I went to go push off, all my momentum is going forward and my leg, it just caused it to go inwards. I know I’m thinking of when I seen it immediately I was like, ah, this don’t feel right, this don’t feel right.”
The earliest George can return is next Wednesday’s game against the Detroit Pistons
“I’m going to be good. I’m going to be good,” George said. “I should be back hopefully sooner than later, but it won’t be a long timetable I would imagine.”
— With files from the Associated Press