Paul George posts 23 points in preseason debut, Sixers fall to T-Wolves in Iowa initially appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Paul George has now achieved greater than pose for footage and observe along with his teammates in a Sixers uniform.
The team’s star summer signing made his preseason Sixers debut Friday evening. He performed 26 minutes and posted a team-high 23 factors on 8-for-15 taking pictures (4 for 9 from three-point vary), six rebounds and two assists.
As for the sport itself: The Sixers fell to 1-1 in exhibition play with a 121-111 loss to the Timberwolves.
Friday’s recreation occurred at Wells Fargo Area in Des Moines, Iowa, the place Sixers head coach Nick Nurse once led Grand View University and the Iowa Energy. Joel Embiid was not with the workforce due to a beforehand scheduled evaluation on his knee, Nurse told The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey.
The following stops on the Sixers’ preseason street journey will probably be Saturday evening in opposition to the Celtics and Monday in opposition to the Hawks.
In Des Moines, the Sixers began Tyrese Maxey, Kelly Oubre Jr., George, Caleb Martin and Andre Drummond. They had been scoreless for nearly three minutes and went down 6-0. On his first discipline aim try, George missed a fadeaway jumper late within the shot clock.
He finally bought on the board with a driving layup and hit a three-pointer a few minute later.
George subbed out with 33.6 seconds left within the first quarter. He had 5 factors on 2-for-6 taking pictures, 4 rebounds, an help and a steal within the opening interval.
His second-quarter stint was considerably extra productive. George swiped a rebound from Donte DiVincenzo’s grasp after which laid the ball in. He drained a pull-up three-pointer on the Sixers’ subsequent journey, too.
George canned one other triple quickly after that, doing his typical clean work off a Drummond ball display screen and sinking his shot over Timberwolves massive man Naz Reid. The nine-time All-Star’s skills as a pick-and-roll ball handler and pull-up shooter ought to clearly be priceless when Embiid’s off the court docket and the Sixers are on the lookout for somebody to create offense.
George additionally made a number of strong dishes that didn’t lead to assists, together with a first-quarter skip go to Maxey and a second-quarter feed to Drummond on the roll.
He scored the Sixers’ ultimate factors of the primary half on a slick step-back three with roughly eight seconds left.
Like George, Oubre wasn’t hesitant in any respect about taking pictures long-range jumpers. He put up 5 three-pointers within the recreation and made three of them.
The Sixers’ bench within the first half was 0 for 8 from the sphere. Nurse used Kyle Lowry, Guerschon Yabusele, Eric Gordon and KJ Martin as his first 4 subs. Early within the second quarter, he added rookies Jared McCain (9 factors on 3-for-5 taking pictures) and Adem Bona to the combo.
Ricky Council IV and Reggie Jackson bought prolonged minutes within the second half, although the Sixers’ starters did return for the start of the third quarter.
They opened the second half brightly. A Maxey three reduce Minnesota’s result in single digits and capped an 8-0 run.
The 23-year-old guard has been fluid, aggressive and environment friendly along with his off-the-dribble threes early this preseason. He recorded 21 factors (7 for 14 from the sphere, 4 for 7 from three-point vary) and two assists on Friday.
Drummond was one other statistical standout, notching seven offensive rebounds and eight defensive boards in 24 minutes. He added 10 factors and two steals.
As soon as trailing by 20 factors, the Sixers continued their comeback early within the fourth quarter.
McCain made a few threes, together with one off a pleasant Council drive-and-kick, and a Jeff Dowtin Jr. layup trimmed the workforce’s deficit to 107-105. The Sixers’ deep bench gamers finally couldn’t get all the best way over the hump, although.
