Paul George, Jared McCain Practiced Thursday; Will They Play Against Celtics?
The Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers will do battle on Friday in their second matchup of the season, this time as part of the NBA Cup Group Stage. Philly got the best of the Celts in the first game of the season, and the Sixers are still undefeated (4-0) heading into Friday’s contest. Tyrese Maxey has been playing at an MVP level to begin the season.
With Boston fully healthy (outside of Jayson Tatum, of course), the most interesting questions surrounding the injury report involve Philadelphia’s veteran star Paul George and second-year guard Jared McCain.
Neither George nor McCain have played this season, with George still recovering from knee surgery in July and McCain still working his way back from a UCL tear in his thumb from September (McCain also missed most of his rookie campaign after tearing his left meniscus).
Sixers and Celtics fans open their eyes wide with news that George and McCain both practiced on Thursday, but a report from ESPN’s Tim Bontemps suggests that both guys will still be held out of Friday’s game.
McCain averaged 15.3 points per game in 23 games during his rookie season and was looking like a top Rookie of the Year candidate before getting injured. His return to the court in Year 2 is a subject of excitement for Sixers fans.
George, 35, has suffered from many injuries throughout his career, although he did notably play in 74 games as recently as 2023-24 with the LA Clippers.
If Philly gets any production at all from George this year, they’ll be happy. They’ll also be dangerous, as rookie wing VJ Edgecombe has already announced himself as a legitimate difference-maker.
Meanwhile, the Celtics will be going for their third-straight win on Friday, which would bring them to .500 (3-3) on the young season.