What happened to Paul George? 76ers superstar suffers gruesome injury in preseason game vs. Hawks

The Philadelphia 76ers suffered a Paul George injury blow when they faced off against the Atlanta Hawks. The wing hyperextended his left knee in the team's 104-89 win at the State Farm Arena on Monday. He played just 12 minutes propping up eight points and two rebounds but was later seen in visible discomfort when he tried to defend Hawks' Jalen Johnson.

He exited the game at 8:17 left in the second quarter and was not seen on the Philadelphia bench either. The Sixers announced he would not be taking the floor for the rest of the game. At the time of writing, there is no official word on George's status for the rest of their preseason games.

According to injury analyst Jeff Stots, more tests were expected in the coming days.

"Paul George: The term hyperextension is more of a descriptor of what happened to the knee than an actual diagnosis. Expect more tests to come. Injuries labeled as "hyperextended knee" result in an average time lost of 6.4 days."

George will likely be rested in the 76ers' upcoming preseason bouts against the Brooklyn Nets at home and the Orlando Magic on an away trip. Should that be the case, he will join Joel Embiid on the sidelines as the big is rested for the preseason to rest his knee and keep him fresh for the regular season.

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Philadelphia 76ers' synergy takes a hit after Paul George's injury

Earlier this summer, the 76ers added Paul George on a max contract following his time with the LA Clippers. By forming a 'Big 3', including Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, the franchise pulled the trigger on the blockbuster move hoping that George would be the final missing piece to their championship run.

The preseason was supposed to be the ideal time for George to adapt to coach Nick Nurse's team strategies and build the chemistry with his new team. He was an active participant in the team's training camp in the Bahamas and was slated to be on a rest plan for the preseason.

George played one preseason game when he suited up against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He notched up 23 points in his debut and looked good on both ends of the floor. The latest injury setback will now dent Nurse's plans as he will probably field a starting lineup without his superstar F/G for the rest of the practice games.