Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George exited Saturday’s 109-97 victory over the Chicago Bulls in the second quarter after jamming his left pinkie, and did not return. George suffered the injury while attempting to grab the ball over Bulls center Nikola Vucevic, bending his finger awkwardly backward.
He played just 13 minutes, scoring nine points on 3-of-6 shooting, before being ruled out for the rest of the game.
“He’s scheduled for an MRI (on Sunday) to see if there’s any further damage,” Sixers coach Nick Nurse told reporters.
The injury came at a tough time for Philadelphia, which was already without star center Joel Embiid, sidelined since Jan. 4 due to a knee issue.
The Sixers, on the second night of a back-to-back, had just snapped a seven-game losing streak with a thrilling 132-129 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday, a game in which George erupted for 30 points.
With Saturday’s win, the Sixers inched closer to the Bulls in the race for the No. 10 seed in the Eastern Conference, which would grant them a spot in the play-in tournament. They trail Chicago by just one game for that final postseason spot.
“We’re piecing it together the best we can,” Nurse said after the game, reflecting the team’s resolve despite the setbacks.
For now, the Sixers are hoping for positive news regarding George’s injury as they continue to push toward a playoff spot without Embiid.
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