Paul George Just Sent a Strong Message to the NBA
Philadelphia 76ers superstar Paul George put on a masterful performance on April 1 in a 153-151 victory against the Washington Wizards. George scored 39 points and went 15 for 22 from the field with six assists, zero turnovers, five rebounds, and three steals.
76ers star point guard Tyrese Maxey also played exceptionally well, scoring 28 points with nine assists for the game. The Sixers are now in sixth place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 42-34.
This particular game marks George’s best scoring output since becoming a 76er in 2024.
Paul George Discusses Highest Scoring Game Since Joining The Philadelphia 76ers
In a postgame interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia, the NBA veteran said it felt great to get back on the court and play at a high level.
“It feels like I’m back to myself,” George said. “It’s a mind-f***. Sorry for the language, but it is a mind-f***. You mentally can see yourself doing things, and you physically can’t do it. That’s the hardest part, I think, for an athlete who goes through injuries and their body is rejecting them.”
“It doesn’t get talked about enough, but it is a mental, you know the word, but again, it just came down to my body getting that time I needed to kind of just prepare and get ready to close the year out.”
George recently detailed how a 25-game suspension for using a banned substance provided his body with the necessary rest.
Paul George Returns From Suspension
George held a press conference last week and explained that his decision to take the substance was because he needed to recover from a knee injury and deal with lingering mental health issues.
“At the moment, I didn’t know the repercussions,” he explained. “It was just a poorly timed decision.”
He continued: “Being a pro athlete takes a toll on you. My body wasn’t where I wanted it to be. The expectations to perform because of my body not being where it needed to be, obviously, I’m going to have an expectation for myself. That’s what led to a poor decision at the time.”
Before his suspension on January 31, 2026, the nine-time All-Star had played 27 games, averaging 16 points per game. He was suspended for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy.
George said because of the suspension, he’s physically in a “much better place.”
“I’ve been feeling great and feeling awesome on the court, so I’m looking forward to putting it to the test now,” he said previously.
He also apologized to the fans in Philadelphia, his family, and teammates for his actions.
“To let people down hurt more than anything going through this process,” George said. But shoutout to the guys for having my back and supporting me through this time to where now, things are on the positive side, looking to tomorrow and being available and giving it everything I got.”