Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George has been ruled out for at least the rest of the regular season after receiving injections in his left adductor muscle and left knee Monday, the team announced.
George spent the past week consulting with doctors on the best treatment options for his groin and knee injuries. The 34-year-old has played through groin, finger and knee ailments this season, dealing with multiple injuries over the past month. Sources said George took painkiller injections for five consecutive games before the NBA All-Star break in February.
The 76ers said George will be unable to play for at least six weeks, which keeps him out for the remainder of the regular season. The 76ers are five games out of the last play-in spot in the Eastern Conference.
George, who signed a four-year, $212 million max deal with the 76ers in July after five seasons with the LA Clippers, averaged 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 41 games. During the preseason, George hyperextended his left knee, forcing him to sit out the first five games of the regular season. He hyperextended the same knee in November, which cost him three games. In January, he injured his left pinkie, and he most recently has been sidelined because of a left groin soreness that has forced him to sit out Philadelphia's past four games.
George finishes the season having played his fewest games since 2021-22; it's the fifth time in six years he's played fewer than 60 games. He announced late last month that he was stepping away from his podcast, "Podcast P with Paul George," to focus on his health and turning around the 76ers' season.
"I haven't been the healthiest, so it's just been putting a ton of work towards getting my body as healthy as possible, and to keep focus of obviously being here and trying to turn things around here and the full focus is trying to get this team together," George said of the decision to pause his podcast.
The team ruled out 2022-23 MVP Joel Embiid for the rest of the season on Feb. 28 and now George has gone the same route. It puts a bow on a disappointing season for the 76ers, who entered 2024-25 among the title favorites but are now playing for their lottery draft pick.
The 76ers' fall could have a positive effect in one area since their first-round pick in this year's NBA draft is top-six protected and would otherwise go to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The 76ers (23-44) have hovered around having the sixth-worst record in the league in recent weeks.
