NBA Notes: Sixers, Paul George, Mavericks, Wizards, Kyshawn George

76ers

Paul George finally got back on the court Monday against his old team (Clippers), and the Sixers kept things simple with a minutes restriction.

He finished with nine points and seven boards in 21 minutes and looked exactly how you’d expect after eight months off — rusty, but relieved.

“It felt great to finally play basketball again,” George told reporters, via ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. “Been like eight months since I played. A long journey. A lot of ups and downs … but I felt good.”

He sat most of the fourth as the Sixers pulled out a two-point win. As for lifting that minutes cap, George said it’ll come down to how his knee responds and whatever Philadelphia’s training staff decides.

Meanwhile, the Sixers are still waiting for Joel Embiid. The former MVP missed his fourth straight game with right knee soreness.

Coach Nick Nurse said Embiid remains day-to-day and “not quite pain-free,” but added he doesn’t think the big man is far off.

Mavericks

Jason Kidd is running out of ways to describe his injury report. The Mavericks have yet to field anything close to a full rotation, and the coach didn’t hide his frustration.

“Our health is a big problem,” Kidd told reporters, via Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. “There’s no continuity. There won’t be any continuity.

“We’re trying to piece this thing together. Give those guys credit, they’re fighting. But this is what it is until we get healthy.”

Dallas has been juggling injured starters, minute limits, and makeshift lineups basically every night.

As an aside, Mavs veterans Anthony Davis and Klay Thompson are reportedly aware they could be traded, as we relayed here.

Wizards

The Wizards have mastered one thing this season, and that would be the art of the lopsided loss.

Washington dropped its 11th straight on Sunday, a 23-point defeat to a Nets team also living near the bottom of the standings. It was the Wizards’ league-worst sixth loss by at least 20 points.

Afterward, coach Brian Keefe didn’t bother sugar-coating it. According to forward Kyshawn George (via The Washington Post), Keefe’s message was blunt.

“Look at yourself in the mirror and answer the deeper questions. It’s more than basketball,” George said. “What do you really want in life? What do we want to build? Make sure you answer the question correctly and come with the right mindset the next day.”

The players then held their own meeting. Washington sits at the bottom of the East, and the vibes seem to match the record.