Paul George of the Philadelphia 76ers addresses his hyperextended knee

The collective gasp you just heard came from Philadelphia 76ers fans after finding out what happened to their star forward, Paul George, during Monday’s road game against the Atlanta Hawks.

In the second quarter, George injured his knee. Replays revealed his left leg bent awkwardly while he was defending Atlanta forward Jalen Johnson. The 34-year-old George left the game and was subsequently ruled out by the 76ers for the remainder of the matchup.

Paul George of the Philadelphia 76ers addresses his hyperextended knee

It was later revealed that George had suffered a hyperextended knee, though it’s still unclear if he will need time off to recover. Despite the injury, George didn’t seem too worried about it.

According to Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer:

“I spoke with Paul George in the locker room after the game. He was wearing a sleeve on his knee but was walking and mentioned that he’s ‘not too concerned’ about the diagnosis. He plans to get treatment tonight and go from there. More updates to follow.”

The former Fresno State Bulldogs standout played just 12 minutes, contributing eight points, two rebounds, an assist, and a steal while shooting 3-for-5 from the field before leaving the game against the Hawks.

It seems likely that George will sit out the remaining two games of the 76ers’ preseason. Philadelphia is set to face the Brooklyn Nets at home on Wednesday, followed by an away game against the Orlando Magic on Friday to conclude their preseason schedule.
George is a key offseason addition for the 76ers, signing a four-year, $211.58 million deal as a nine-time NBA All-Star. Philadelphia hopes he will be the missing piece in their quest for a championship run.