Philadelphia 76ers Have Positive Update on Paul George vs Pelicans

After missing the All-Star duo of Joel Embiid and Paul George on Wednesday night against the Washington Wizards, the Philadelphia 76ers are likely to get healthier on Friday night against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Recently, the veteran forward Paul George began experiencing groin tightness. While his setback flew under the radar initially, George was downgraded on the Sixers’ injury report ahead of the Wednesday night matchup. He missed his first set of action since December 4.

Fortunately, the Sixers saw Paul George return to the practice court on Thursday. When they submitted their injury report for the battle against the Pelicans, George was upgraded to probable.

Paul George (groin) listed probable for Friday.
— Underdog NBA (@Underdog__NBA) January 9, 2025

The 2024-2025 NBA season hasn’t treated George well on the health front. During the preseason, the veteran forward dealt with a bruised knee. After getting shut down for the rest of the preseason after appearing in his second game, George missed the first five games of the regular season.

For the next nine of 10 games after making his debut on November 4, George was healthy and on the court. During the November 20 matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies, George checked out after 17 minutes. Once again, he was dealing with a bruised knee.

Jan 2, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) drives past Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins (22) during the first quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images | John Hefti-Imagn Images

George went on to miss three games in a row. After returning on November 30 against the Detroit Pistons, the Sixers have had an opportunity to see George involved in plenty of action.

Since December 3, George has competed in 15 outings. He’s been shooting 36 percent from three, averaging 17 points, six rebounds, and five assists.

Joel Embiid facing the Net — Jan 4, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) celebrates after basket during the second half against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Sixers Make the Early Call on Embiid

Lately, Embiid’s availability has been very inconsistent this season. Unfortunately, the concerns continue to come about.

Embiid had a string of absences to rest the knee that he received surgery on one year ago at the start of the 2024-2025 NBA season. When Embiid targeted a return in early November after missing his first six games of the season, a suspension took the big man off the court for three more games

Injury report for tomorrow vs. Pelicans:

OUT: Joel Embiid (left foot sprain), Andre Drummond (left toe sprain), Kyle Lowry (right hip sprain), KJ Martin (left foot stress reaction), Jared McCain (left knee meniscus surgery)

PROBABLE: Paul George (left groin tightness) #Sixers
— Ky Carlin (@Ky_Carlin) January 9, 2025

By the time Embiid was back on the floor for his debut on November 12, he had joined the team during the first leg of a back-to-back set. Embiid would miss the following game, making it 10 absences in 11 games.

After being active for a three-game stretch, Embiid’s knee caused more concern. With swelling and soreness in play, according to Nick Nurse, Embiid would go on to miss a seven-game stretch.

In his second game back against the Indiana Pacers, Embiid suffered a facial injury. He was diagnosed with a sinus fracture. Although Embiid’s original timeline was one week of recovery, he was back on the court sporting a facemask after missing just one game of action.

Ahead of the Sixers’ Christmas Day matchup against the Boston Celtics, Embiid was seen getting tripped up during his pregame warmups. It’s believed that Embiid’s recent foot sprain might’ve stemmed from that moment. Moving forward, Embiid stayed on the Sixers’ injury report due to the sinus fracture and the foot sprain.

Following the Celtics matchup, Embiid played in four of the five games leading up to the Phoenix Suns matchup on Monday. He was questionable before the Phoenix matchup and was eventually ruled out. Ahead of the Washington Wizards and Pelicans games, the Sixers made the early call on Embiid’s status.

Friday’s absence will mark the third in a row for Embiid. At this point, he has just 13 games under his belt in soon-to-be 36 games. During that stretch, Embiid has averaged 24 points, eight rebounds, and four assists.

On Friday, the Sixers and the Pelicans will tip at 7 PM ET.

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