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

Will Paul George play against the Lakers?

Oct 14, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) in action against the Atlanta Hawks in the second quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The depth chart is getting thin for the Philadelphia 76ers early on. That’s been the case for the first few weeks of the 2024-2025 NBA season, as the veteran forward Paul George has been a regular on the injury report.

Dealing with a knee injury, which occurred during the 2024 preseason, George missed the Sixers’ first five games of the season. Earlier this week, he finally saw his status on the injury report upgraded to questionable.

Heading into the Phoenix Suns matchup, George received the green light to play. Although he entered the matchup planning to be on a minutes restriction, he ended up checking in for over 30 minutes. George struggled with his shot, shooting just 29 percent from the field and scoring 15 points.

On Wednesday, George appeared in his second game for the Sixers against his former team, the Los Angeles Clippers. The minutes restriction was in effect, keeping him on the court for just 23 minutes on the night. While George shot much better, his 18 points didn’t help the Sixers avoid another loss.

Jan 23, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George (13) drives past Los Angeles Lakers forward Taurean Prince (12) in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Will George Play vs. LA Lakers?

The Sixers’ injury report has some notable names on it, but George has been left off of it for the first time since the regular season started.

It’s unclear if the restriction will be in effect or not, but at least the Sixers know their star forward is guaranteed to play against the Lakers on Friday night.

Throughout his career, George has averaged 23 points, six rebounds, and three assists against the Lakers.

The 76ers will miss two-thirds of their All-Stars in LA. Joel Embiid is set to serve the second game of his three-game suspension. Tyrese Maxey suffered a hamstring injury earlier this week and won’t be re-evaluated until a week’s worth of time passes.

George and the Sixers will tip-off at 10 PM ET.