The 76ers are ruling out Embiid and George due to injuries. The Bucks' Middleton also assumes he will be out

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Paul George's debut with the Philadelphia 76ers is on hold and Joel Embiid will be sidelined again due to injury.

Embiid and George will miss Wednesday's season opener against Milwaukee and could miss more games as the All-Stars are expected to try to lead Philadelphia to its first championship since returning from injuries in 1983.

George was set to make his Sixers debut after leaving the Los Angeles Clippers and signing a four-year, $212 million contract as a free agent this summer. But 34-year-old George suffered a bone bruise hyperextended his left knee during a preseason game.

The Sixers did not say Tuesday how many more games George might miss; His return to play will be assessed later in the week.

The Bucks also lost a portion of star power leading up to the game The NBA opens this week.

Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers said Tuesday that Bucks forward Khris Middleton is also not expected to play in the opener. The three-time All-Star had no 5-on-5 work in the preseason he is recovering from Off-season operations on each of his ankles.

“It’s pretty much 100% to 99,” Rivers said of the odds Middleton won’t play.

George, a nine-time All-Star, was injured in the second quarter of a game against Atlanta last week when his knee gave out on a defensive play.

George struggled with injuries for most of his career before playing in 76 games last season, the first time he played more than 56 games since 2018-19.

He spoke about the bone bruise on his “Podcast P with Paul George” this week. George, a six-time All-NBA player, said his knee is stable and has not suffered any major damage, and there is no cause for long-term concern about his health.

“My leg literally got stuck. I don't even know what else to call it. Only my knee is locked, my leg is locked,” George said on his podcast. “When I went to push off, all my momentum went forward and my leg just moved inward. I know I'm thinking about it, as soon as I saw it I was like, “Ah, that doesn't feel right, that doesn't feel right.”

The Sixers' schedule also includes games at Indiana on Sunday and home games on Wednesday and Saturday.

“I'll be good. I’ll be good,” George said. “I should hopefully be back sooner rather than later, but I imagine it won’t be a long schedule.”

The Sixers are on a familiar path with Embiid.

He not played in the preseason because of a sore left knee.

The Sixers said Embiid has “responded well to his individual rehab plan” and is scheduled to practice this week. Embiid will also miss Friday's game against Toronto and will be re-evaluated this weekend.

“There were no setbacks,” coach Nick Nurse told reporters at the 76ers complex in New Jersey. “He’s really active. He has lost some weight. He is on the pitch. We’ll just stick with our plan and make sure we get in a really, really good position before we play it live.”

The 30-year-old, who won an Olympic gold medal with Team USA in Paris, signed a $193 million contract before training camp. The 76ers have failed to advance past the second round of the playoffs since 2001, in large part because Embiid has failed to stay healthy for an entire postseason.

Embiid has never played more than 68 games in a season and was only able to play in 39 last season largely due to knee surgery. He tore the meniscus in his left knee on January 30th and underwent surgery on February 6th.

“We have to do everything we can to make sure I’m healthy for the postseason,” Embiid said in September. “It’s whatever it takes to make sure I get to that point and I’m ready to go. Basically, I got hurt in the playoffs every year of my career. That’s the goal, to do whatever it takes to get there.”

The 76ers finished 31-8 last season with Embiid – about 65 wins – and a dismal 16-27 record without him.

Embiid revealed before training camp that he had lost about 25 to 30 pounds over the summer to stay in better shape for the long season. This also means that you do not leave any further problems with your knee behind.

“Until I get to the point where they feel like I’m ready to go, I’m sure they’re going to hold me back,” Embiid said Team media day. “I think with the guys we have and what I can bring, we have a pretty good chance (of a title).”

He has five All-NBA Team honors, seven consecutive All-Star selections from 2017-24, three All-Defensive Team nominations and was the NBA scoring champion twice.

With George, he will be named the 2023 NBA MVP Embiid and All-Star guard Tyrese MaxeyThe 76ers were expected to have one of the league's most formidable trios as they attempt to assemble a core that can compete with the defending champion Boston Celtics.

Maxey is expected to play after the guard suffered a bruised right thumb in the preseason.

As for the Bucks, Rivers said Middleton's injury is more of a day-to-day issue and shouldn't keep him out long. A series of injuries limited Middleton to 55 regular-season games last year and 33 in the 2022-23 season.

“I would say if this was a playoff game, he would probably be playing or close to it,” Rivers said.

Taurean Prince started in Middleton's place in the preseason.

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AP Sports Writer Steve Megargee in Milwaukee contributed to this report.

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