Paul George did not have a lot of playing time in the Philadelphia 76ers' matchup against the Miami Heat on Sunday afternoon.
George is going through his 16th year in the NBA, his second with the 76ers. Injuries have negatively impacted his stint with the team, seeing career lows for the veteran wing as he enters his mid-30s.
Throughout his time on the court against Miami, he was only there for 20 minutes despite being in the starting lineup. He finished with 10 points, five assists, two rebounds, one steal, and a block. He shot 3-of-10 from the field, including 0-of-5 from beyond the arc, and 4-of-5 from the free-throw line.
Head coach Nick Nurse explained the limitation of George's minutes after the game, per reporter Derek Bodner. He stated it was for defensive purposes, having him on Miami wing Jaime Jaquez Jr. throughout the matchup.
“Nick Nurse says that he brought Paul George off the bench in the 3rd quarter to try to match his minutes with Jaime Jaquez, as he thought George did the best job defending him,” Bodner wrote.
How Paul George, 76ers played against Heat
It was a reasonable explanation from Nick Nurse when it comes to Paul George's workload. However, the 76ers were unable to defend homecourt as they lost 127-117 to the Heat.
Miami landed the first crucial blow, taking a 37-27 lead after the opening quarter. Even though Philadelphia cut the deficit down to four at halftime, they faltered down the stretch as they couldn't contain the Heat's offense.
Rebounding, ball movement and inside scoring made the difference in this matchup. The Heat prevailed in all three categories by securing 58 rebounds, creating 32 assists and scoring 72 points inside the paint. It wasn't the same for the 76ers as they grabbed 46 rebounds, dished out 28 assists and produced 52 points inside the paint.
Six players scored in double-digits for Philadelphia in the loss, including George. Tyrese Maxey led the way with 27 points, six assists, three rebounds, and two steals. He shot 10-of-23 overall, including 5-of-14 from downtown. Trendon Watford came next with 19 points and eight rebounds, Quentin Grimes put up 15 points and three assists, Jared McCain had 15 points and two assists, while Andre Drummond provided 14 points and 24 rebounds.
Philadelphia fell to a 9-7 record on the season, holding the eighth spot of the Eastern Conference standings. They are even with the Orlando Magic and Chicago Bulls while trailing the New York Knicks by 0.5 games.
The 76ers will look to bounce back in their next matchup, remaining at home. They host the Orlando Magic on Nov. 25 at 8 p.m. ET as part of the NBA Cup group stage.
