Paul George’s Official Playing Status for 76ers-Pelicans

The Philadelphia 76ers are getting Paul George back in the mix on Friday.

Jan 1, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) reacts after a play during the second quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images / Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

This week, the Philadelphia 76ers weren’t certain about Paul George’s playing status at times. After George competed against the Phoenix Suns for nearly 38 minutes on January 6, the Sixers ruled out George for Wednesday’s game against the Washington Wizards.

According to the injury report, George was dealing with a groin injury.

George’s absence on January 8 was his first since December 4. Fortunately, the Sixers won’t miss George for additional time. Heading into Friday’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans, the Sixers upgraded George to probable on the injury report.

The veteran wing will get the nod to play.

Paul George (groin) listed available to play Friday.

— Underdog NBA (@Underdog__NBA) January 10, 2025

The 2024-2025 NBA season hasn’t gone too well for George so far. Since preseason, the veteran has battled setbacks. In his second outing with the Sixers during the preseason, George went down with a knee injury. He missed the first five games of the season.

When George made his regular season debut on November 4, he stayed on the court for five games before getting a night off. Amid his next three-game stretch, George went down with the same knee injury he suffered during the preseason. Fortunately for the Sixers, it wouldn’t take George off the court for the same amount of time.

Jan 6, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) controls the ball against Phoenix Suns forward Ryan Dunn (0) during the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The nine-time NBA All-Star missed three games before returning to action on November 30 for a two-game stretch. Leading up to the absence against the Wizards, George played 14 games in a row. During that stretch, he averaged 16 points, six rebounds, four assists, and two steals. George knocked down 42 percent of his field goals and 33 percent of his threes during that stint.

Friday’s game will be an opportunity for the Sixers to string together two victories in a row. Sitting at 15-20, they are one game behind the Chicago Bulls, possessing the 11th seed in the Eastern Conference. The Pelicans enter the matchup with a 7-31 record, on a two-game losing streak.

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