76ers' Paul George not yet ready to return from injury

Sixers forward Paul George will miss at least two more games due to the left groin ailment that sidelined him on Thursday in Boston, as Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice.com relays. Head coach Nick Nurse updated reporters on George’s status after the team’s practice on Saturday.

The news means George will be out for Sunday’s home game against Utah and Monday’s road game in Atlanta. The earliest he could potentially return would be on Wednesday in Toronto, which will be a crucial game for lottery positioning — the Sixers and Raptors are currently separated by a half-game in the standings.

George, who was listed as out on Thursday due to left groin soreness, also missed Monday’s game with the same injury designation. He played nearly 30 minutes on Wednesday in Minnesota and scored just seven points on 3-of-11 shooting, but he contributed six assists and a pair of steals and was a +7 in a game the Sixers lost by 14 points.

With Joel Embiid having been ruled out for the season and the Sixers’ front office perhaps more focused on keeping its top-six-protected first-round pick than claiming the Eastern Conference’s final play-in spot, it wouldn’t be a surprise if George continues to miss time during the season’s home stretch. He’s in the first season of a four-year, maximum-salary contract, so the organization will probably prioritize getting him fully healthy for next fall rather than getting the most out of him in the final weeks of what increasingly looks like a lost season.

Philadelphia’s other star, Tyrese Maxey, has been sidelined for the team’s past two games with what the team is calling a lower-back sprain. Maxey did some individual work on Saturday, but appears likely to remain on the shelf for Sunday’s matchup with Utah, per Aaronson. His status beyond Sunday is still up in the air.