Oklahoma City Thunder star Paul George's availability for Game 1 of their opening round series against the Portland Trailblazers is still up in the air.
Jamie Hudson of NBC Sports Northwest reported on Twitter that George remains questionable for Game 1 due to right shoulder soreness.
Thunder Injury Report for Game 1:
Andre Roberson (left patellar) is out and Paul George (right shoulder) is questionable.
— Jamie Hudson (@JamieHudson_) April 13, 2019
George missed the Thunder's final regular season game against the Milwaukee Bucks to rest and heal up before the start of the postseason. However, it seems like the pain on the shoulder is still lingering.
George did speak with reporters after practice on Friday, and said that he expects to suit up for Game 1, per Royce Young of ESPN.
Paul George said the pain in his right shoulder was too much to try and play through against Milwaukee, but says “as much as I can get it 100 as possible or close to it, you can expect me out there Sunday.” pic.twitter.com/5wHNiC7CyR
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) April 12, 2019
The timing of this injury could not have come at a worse time for Oklahoma City, with the playoffs literally around the corner.
George has been dealing with these shoulder issues over the second half of the season. The six-time All-Star first experienced the right shoulder soreness after he collided with a player in a game against the Denver Nuggets in late February.
After missing three contests due to the right shoulder issue, George was also hit on his left shoulder shortly after. Now he's dealing with pain on both.
This is definitely worth monitoring for Oklahoma City moving forward. There is no way they can make a splash in the playoffs without their All-NBA forward.
George has been magnificent for Oklahoma City this season. He has made a season of clutch baskets for the Thunder, including one just last week against the Houston Rockets.
George put up career-averages of 28.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 2.2 steals in 2018-19. His resurgence as their lead guy has placed him in the conversation for MVP and First-Team All-NBA honors.
Thus, his presence on the floor is definitely needed if they want to avenge their early round exit last year and make a deep playoff push this time around.
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