Star forward Paul George stepped back onto the floor at last, giving the Philadelphia 76ers the return they had been waiting on through another stretch of uncertainty. The moment felt steady, not dramatic. Paul George moved with caution early, then with more confidence as the minutes built, shaking off the weight of a injury layoff that dragged longer than anyone hoped. The crowd rose when he checked in. The team shifted around him. And the 76ers finally got a real look at the lineup it imagined all summer.
George didn’t try to dress it up. “It felt good,” the 76ers star said. “Rusty, for sure. You could see that. But being out there again, just hooping, competing, that part felt great.” His honesty set the tone. He admitted his conditioning is still coming. He admitted his legs weren’t fully under him yet. But he also stressed the biggest victory of the night: “Nothing hurt. That’s the most important thing.”
He explained that he wants to tighten his footwork, sharpen his reads, and push into contact without thinking about the past few weeks. It wasn’t a loud statement game for the 76ers. It was a reassuring one. And after the recent injury setback, that was enough.
The 76ers sees a foundation forming
Nick Nurse liked what he saw. He called George’s 76ers debut “a real step forward,” noting how quickly the spacing changed with him on the floor. “He looked good,” Nurse said. “You could see him adjusting, but he played with confidence. He played with purpose.” Nurse highlighted George’s defensive rotations and the calm he brought late, even as the Clippers pushed back.
The 76ers matched that energy. They leaned on him in key moments, trusted his presence, and walked away believing this return is the start of something bigger.
And after his return from injury, this question hits hard: how fast can Paul George pull this 76ers team into the heart of the East?
