Things went from bad to worse for the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday despite having Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George together for the first time this season. Embiid had his best game so far, but the Sixers lost 117-111 to the Memphis Grizzlies as George suffered a knee injury.
Former NBA champion and ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins summed up Philadelphia’s season in just three words. Philly dropped to 2-12 for the season following their 117-111 road loss to the Grizzlies. It’s currently the worst record in the NBA.
“Sixers are cooked,” Perkins tweeted.
Entering Wednesday’s game, the Philadelphia 76ers were full of hope as their Big 3 of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George were finally starting a game together. It lasted three quarters after George exited with a knee injury.
It was the same knee he hyperextended in the preseason that caused him to miss the first five games of the season. Speaking to reporters after the game, coach Nick Nurse shared some initial information on the extent of George’s status moving forward.
“I think they said it was similar to last time, which was a bone bruise, I think,” Nurse said, according to Sports Illustrated. “They actually did work in there. You never know what happens. He was actually fairly close to coming back in the game, but then it kind of stiffened up as he got out a little bit more. He decided not to and now got to take a look at it and make sure.”
Paul George is expected to undergo further testing as the 76ers work through another injury to one of their three best players. Tyrese Maxey missed the previous six games with a hamstring injury, while Joel Embiid has only played four games because of a left knee issue.
Former Sixers guard reveals details about Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey incident
One of the biggest headlines in the past few days was Tyrese Maxey reportedly calling out Joel Embiid during a team meeting. Maxey wanted Embiid to take things more seriously and “not be late” on any team activities moving forward.
Former 76ers guard Lou Williams shared more about what happened on Wednesday’s episode of “Run It Back” on FanDuel TV.
“It wasn’t as much of Tyrese Maxey challenging Joel Embiid as it’s been stated,” Williams said, according to Sporting News. “It was a conversation about accountability. By all accounts, those guys are doing just fine. They were sitting next to each other when we were on the phone, laughing and giggling, and having a good time and trying to get this team back on the same page.”
The Sixers are back at home on Friday as they host the Brooklyn Nets for a group game in the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup.
