Pacers swingman Paul George exited the game Thursday against the New Orleans Pelicans after taking a knee from Pelicans forward Alonzo Gee to his right calf area.
“Nothing too serious, hopefully,” George said after the game. He felt “tightness and soreness,” and added that “it was hard to put pressure through it.”
George suffered the injury early in the third quarter and did not return.
With 7:31 remaining in the third quarter, George was subbed out for C.J. Miles. He went to the bench and then assistant athletic trainer Carl Eaton appeared to rub down George’s right calf area. They then decided to go back to the locker room.
A few minutes later, the Pacers announced that George, who has played in all 71 games this season, had a lower-right leg contusion (aka bruise) and his return was questionable.
Eaton and team orthopedic surgeon Dr. Tim Hupfer emerged from the locker room but George remained back there to ice.
“Just being cautious with it,” he said. “… It was where I previously had an injury at so, again, hopefully it’s nothing to serious.”
George finished with 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting, four rebounds, and two assists in nearly 20 minutes of action. When he left the floor, the Pacers’ lead was 11, 56-45.
The Pacers went on to capture their 38th win of the season, 92-84. They will travel to Brooklyn on Friday ahead of a back-to-back, at Brooklyn on Saturday and then back here Sunday to host Houston. How his leg is feeling Friday and Saturday will be the real test. George expects it to be sore.
George and Monta Ellis are the only Indiana players to have appeared in every game this season. I asked George if this injury, to the very leg where he suffered a compound fracture in August, 2014, causes him to reconsider his goal to play in all 82.
“Certainly,” George said. “Hopefully as days go on, by the time we get to Brooklyn it’s well enough to play on.”
[Photo via @FSIndiana]