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76ers’ free-agent pickup Paul George leaves preseason win with hyperextended left knee | National News

76ers’ free-agent pickup Paul George leaves preseason win with hyperextended left knee | National News

ATLANTA (AP) — Paul George, the Philadelphia 76ers’ coveted free agent, left Monday’s preseason game against Atlanta with a hyperextended left knee.

There was no immediate information on how much time George might miss following his injury. A nine-time All-Star, George suffered a broken knee on a defensive play in the second quarter. He scored eight points in 12 minutes in a 104-89 win.

“I felt like it was overstretched and immediately it was like, all right, I need to be taken out and (looked at), but if you ask me, I’m not too worried about it,” George told the Philadelphia Inquirer .

76ers coach Nick Nurse said George, 34, will be examined Tuesday.

“You never want anything to happen to anyone,” the nurse said. “Sure, I just try to lure him into things. He also wants to get involved in things. That doesn’t give us a chance. Hopefully everything will be okay and he will be back with us straight away.”

The Sixers were cautious with their star players, sidelining center Joel Embiid for the remainder of the preseason on Sunday because of the team’s left knee treatment.

The 76ers — who signed George to a four-year, $212 million contract as a free agent this summer — are his fourth team, after seven years with Indiana, two with Oklahoma City and the last five years as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers. He was named All-NBA six times and averaged 20.8 points in his first 14 NBA seasons.

With George joining Embiid for the 2023 NBA MVP and All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey, the 76ers should boast one of the league’s most impressive trios as they look to assemble a core that can compete with NBA champion Boston.

George played 76 games last season, the first time he played more than 56 games since 2018-19.

The Sixers don’t expect George and Embiid to make it 75 games in the regular season.

Embiid was never healthy throughout the postseason, a reason the Sixers stumbled in the postseason under his leadership and a pretty big dent – fair or not – on his legacy. If the Sixers can’t keep George and Embiid together in April, we could be in for another empty season.

George made 8 of 15 shots and scored a team-high 23 points in his preseason debut against Minnesota last week.

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