Philadelphia 76ers Reveal Plans for Paul George vs Lakers

The Philadelphia 76ers' short-term plans for Paul George includes an absence against the Lakers.

Nov 8, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) dribbles against Los Angeles Lakers forward Cam Reddish (5) during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images | Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia 76ers are dealing with another Paul George setback.

When the Sixers concluded a Monday morning practice session, there wasn’t a full diagnosis revealed for the nine-time All-Star forward.

The team announced that George underwent an MRI and an ultrasound, and the results were still being reviewed.

For now, the short-term plan is to hold George out. He missed Monday’s practice, and isn’t expected to be available for Tuesday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Joel Embiid partially participated at practice and his knee is responding well. No status for tomorrow yet, per Sixers.

Paul George’s MRI and ultrasound are being reviewed. He did not practice and won’t play tomorrow.

— Paul Hudrick (@PaulHudrick) January 27, 2025

Beyond Tuesday’s action, George’s full injury timeline is unknown.

All was going better for George this past week. The veteran returned from a two-game absence to face the Denver Nuggets.

Nov 8, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) defends against Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images | Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

While George’s presence didn’t help prevent a blowout loss for the Sixers, the fact he was able to play for 28 minutes was a positive development.

When the Sixers fired up a back-to-back set beginning in South Philly on Friday, George checked in for 36 minutes. He produced 30 points, five rebounds, and three assists while knocking down 55 percent of his three-pointers.

On the following night, George was cleared for action to complete the back-to-back. Against the Chicago Bulls on the road, George saw the court for fewer than 13 minutes. With just nine points, George was ruled out for the entire second half due to a pinky injury.

George is now facing his third different setback this year. Back in the preseason, George dealt with a knee injury, which forced him to miss the first five games of the 2024-2025 NBA season.

After George returned for a stretch, he went back out on November 20 for three games due to dealing with the same injury. Earlier this month, George began experiencing groin soreness. Prior to the Denver matchup last week, George appeared in just three of seven games from January 8 up to the 21st.

Soon, the Sixers should have a better idea of his current injury timeline.

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