Paul George is day-to-day with a rest issue and will not play in Boston's preseason finale against the 76ers on Friday. Sean Grande of NBC Sports Boston reported the move, which pulls George out of the Celtics' last tune-up before the regular season.
What happened
The Celtics listed Paul George as day-to-day for rest ahead of Friday's 7:00 PM ET preseason finale at the 76ers, with the injury report issued at 7:15 PM ET. Sean Grande of NBC Sports Boston reports George (rest) won't play in the game. It is the second time this month George has carried a day-to-day rest tag: he was day-to-day for rest on Oct. 8 and was cleared from that status on Oct. 10 before Friday's new listing.
What it means for the Celtics
Boston closes the preseason at Philadelphia without George, who averaged 17.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 30.7 minutes last season. The Celtics have not played a regular-season game yet and sit at 0-0 for 2026-27, so there is no record with or without him to point to. In George's absence, the minutes load falls on the rest of the rotation, led by Jaylen Brown (34.4 minutes, 28.7 points), Derrick White (34.1 minutes, 16.5 points), Jayson Tatum (32.6 minutes, 21.8 points) and Payton Pritchard (32.3 minutes, 17.0 points).
What to watch
The next injury report will show whether George's rest day was a one-off or signals something to monitor into the regular-season opener. His expected return is listed as Oct. 20, which would put him back on the floor for the start of the season. Boston has no further preseason games on the schedule provided.
Is Paul George playing at the 76ers?
No. George is day-to-day with a rest issue and will not play in Friday's preseason finale against Philadelphia, per Sean Grande of NBC Sports Boston.
When will Paul George be back?
His expected return is Oct. 20, 2026.