Sixers Plummet To Last In East, As Paul George Exits After Reinjuring Knee

In a season already plagued by disappointment, the 76ers suffered yet another blow Wednesday night, falling to the Grizzlies 117-111. The loss itself wasn’t the headline, though — it was Paul George, the Sixers’ prized offseason acquisition.

He left the game early with a hyperextended left knee. The same knee, by the way, that cost him the first five games of the season after an injury in the preseason.

George exited less than two minutes into the second half after landing awkwardly on a rebound attempt. His night ended with just two points in 17 minutes, leaving the Sixers to piece things together without him.  And that’s been the story of their season — piecework.

Tyrese Maxey returned from a hamstring injury but looked far from his usual dynamic self, scoring just eight points on a rough 3-of-13 shooting performance. Joel Embiid was the lone bright spot, pouring in a season-high 35 points, but even his heroics weren’t enough to lift Philadelphia.

The Sixers now sit at 2-12, their worst start in years, and things don’t seem to be trending in the right direction. Embiid, while brilliant when available, has already missed time for knee management and a three-game suspension for what’s being generously called an “incident” with a local columnist.

Add in George’s shaky health and Maxey’s slow return, and Philadelphia’s big three has been more of a big question mark.

At this point, the Sixers are the ultimate “what could have been” team. Sure, there’s still time to turn things around, but that would require health, cohesion, and consistency — three things they haven’t had all season.

For now, it’s another long, frustrating night for a team that expected to be contending, not languishing in last place. The clock is ticking.

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