Paul George, Tyrese Maxey have no plans to shut down their Sixers season
With 23 regular-season games remaining, George, Maxey, and coach Nick Nurse all plan to push for an appearance in the Play-In Tournament.
With Joel Embiid officially shut down after playing in only 19 games, Paul George acknowledged it is frustrating that his first season attempting to form an enticing Big Three with Embiid and point guard Tyrese Maxey never gained real traction.
The 34-year-old George also has dealt with multiple injuries this season, including a tendon injury in his little finger that is still being protected by a splint, and noted that “each year is a year I can’t get back.”
George, though, echoed 76ers coach Nick Nurse’s pregame comments Saturday that — at least for now — he plans to continue playing, rather than also ending his season early in order to help the Sixers more viscerally pivot into tank mode.
Ditto for Tyrese Maxey, who logged nearly 40 minutes Saturday in a win over the Golden State Warriors even with a sprained little finger on his shooting hand that surely contributed to his 2-for-14 mark from the floor. Maxey left the locker room before it opened to the media after the game.
“I’m going to give everything I’ve got to this group,” George said late Saturday. “Keep fighting and see where that gets us.”
The win over Golden State means the Sixers enter Sunday 2½ games back of the Chicago Bulls for the Eastern Conference’s final play-in spot with 23 games remaining, starting with Monday’s home matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers before a two-game road trip at the Minnesota Timberwolves and Boston Celtics.
Beating the Warriors also moved the Sixers a half-game ahead of the Brooklyn Nets — or “behind” the Nets for the NBA’s seventh-worst record, which would decrease the Sixers’ odds of keeping their top-six protected pick in the draft lottery.