From 'rock bottom' to Game 7: Paul George’s physical reset fuels the Sixers’ comeback against Boston

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Paul George would rather not have that stain of a 25-game suspension for flunking a drug test on his permanent record.

As unnecessary as that failure was, the layoff for the 35-year-old George — who spent most of his first two seasons with the 76ers sidelined with various injuries — came with a bit of a physical rebirth.

George got to rest, rehab and then play his way into the game shape and forget about the knee and adductor injuries — among others — that robbed the nine-time All-Star of his full potential that he flashed in his three previous NBA stops.

George hit a team-high five 3-pointers and scored 23 points to lead the Sixers to a 106-93 win over the Celtics on Thursday night and force Game 7 Saturday night in Boston.

“I'm finally enjoying it now that I'm able to do things I was once able to do again,” George said. “It's fun again. It's like seeing who I am again. How can I be relevant again? How can I chase some of the things I was doing in my past?”

When the Sixers needed George to help rally them from a 3-1 deficit in their first-round series against Boston, he was as relevant, as valuable as he's been since he signed with the Sixers in the summer of 2024 on a four-year, $212 million free-agent contract.

Case in point, his role in the play of the game — and maybe the series — the third quarter when Kelly Oubre Jr. blocked Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey scooped the loose ball and fed to George on the break who then dazzled with a behind-the-back pass to VJ Edgecombe who finished with a thunderous dunk for a 69-54 lead.

“We keep stacking wins like this, man, who knows where we'll be?” George said.

New York sure would be nice.

Maxey, Edgecombe and Joel Embiid — who scored 19 points in his third game back since his appendectomy — have played their roles in the series comeback to near perfection. George was lost in the shuffle at times this season — in large part because of the suspension — but also because he deferred to the other three Sixers to do what they do best and let the offense run through them.

George reminded the Sixers why his arrival heralded the beginning of the so-called Big Three with Maxey and Embiid. The trio combined for 72 points in Game 6, 30 from Maxey.

“Once he came back from his 25 games, he had a mission,” Maxey said. “I think he's been accomplishing that mission.”

The mission was about leveling up to the expectations of his talent and contract while leading the Sixers — who haven't won an NBA title since 1983 — into a factor in the East.

“Before the suspension, I was kind of saving myself for games because of the soreness and I wanted to be as fresh as possible going into the games,” George said. “Now, I can focus on basketball.”

Last season was so miserable that George called his first year in Philly “rock bottom.”

He has the Sixers — thumped by 32 points twice in this series— on the brink of a first-round victory and a bit of NBA history.

The only team in NBA history to win a playoff series after losing two games by 30-plus points was the Minneapolis Lakers in 1959 against the St. Louis Hawks.

George added four rebounds, three assists, two steals, and one block in Game 6 and has averaged 18.2 points overall in the series.

“(He's) just doing a little bit of everything,” Embiid said. “We needed all of it.”

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Boston Celtics' Luka Garza, left, goes up for a dunk against Philadelphia 76ers' Paul George during the second half of Game 6 in a first-round NBA basketball playoff series Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Philadelphia 76ers' Tyrese Maxey (0), Vj Edgecombe (77) and Paul George (8) celebrate during the second half of Game 6 in a first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Boston Celtics Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Boston Celtics' Luka Garza, left, goes up for a dunk against Philadelphia 76ers' Paul George during the second half of Game 6 in a first-round NBA basketball playoff series Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Boston Celtics' Luka Garza, left, goes up for a dunk against Philadelphia 76ers' Paul George during the second half of Game 6 in a first-round NBA basketball playoff series Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Philadelphia 76ers' Paul George, left, chases a loose ball past Boston Celtics' Neemias Queta during the second half of Game 6 in a first-round NBA basketball playoff series Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Leo Carlsson, Troy Terry and Chris Kreider had a goal and two assists apiece, and the Anaheim Ducks eliminated Connor McDavid the two-time defending Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers with a 5-2 victory in Game 6 of their first-round playoff series Thursday night.

Cutter Gauthier had a goal and an assist, Ryan Poehling scored the opening goal and Lukas Dostal made 25 saves in a standout performance for the upstart Ducks, who stormed to their team’s first playoff series victory since 2017.

After ending a seven-year postseason absence by knocking out the powerhouse Oilers, Anaheim will face the winner of the Vegas Golden Knights’ series with the Utah Mammoth. Vegas leads 3-2 heading to Salt Lake City on Friday night.

Connor Murphy and Vasily Podkolzin scored as Edmonton followed up its worst regular season since 2021 by going out in the first round for the first time since that season.

After winning nine playoff series and reaching two Stanley Cup Finals in the past four years, McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and the Oilers finally appeared to run out of energy and health during a disastrous defensive performance against the Ducks, who scored three goals in the first period of Game 6.

Even with 14 players making their postseason debuts, the Ducks admirably handled the pressure while winning four of the last five games against the seasoned Oilers. Carlsson had an outstanding Game 6 to cap the 21-year-old center’s strong debut playoff series, while emerging star defenseman Jackson LaCombe scored nine points and led the Ducks’ defensive efforts against McDavid and Draisaitl.

In Game 6, Anaheim also got its best effort of the series from Dostal, who had the NHL’s second-worst save percentage in the postseason after getting pulled from Game 5. The Czech Olympian was sharp all night, highlighted by a breakaway stop on Zach Hyman.

Backed by a frenzied sellout crowd that included Angels slugger Mike Trout, the Ducks scored first in Game 6 for the first time in the entire series when John Carlson’s shot hit Poehling and trickled in for his fourth goal of the series.

Carlsson then set up Kreider off the rush, ending the longtime Rangers star’s 17-game goal drought with his first playoff goal for the Ducks — on his 35th birthday, no less.

Murphy answered for Edmonton 1:31 later, but Gauthier got his fourth playoff goal on a power play when his one-timer arced in off Darnell Nurse’s stick.

Late in a tense second period, Carlsson took the puck from Evan Bouchard and fed Terry for a 4-1 lead.

Edmonton scored early in the third when Kasperi Kapanen’s wide shot deflected in off Podkolzin’s leg, but McDavid and Draisaitl couldn’t get it any closer. The Oilers pulled Ingram with 3:57 left, but Carlsson scored into an empty net.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL

Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, left, and Anaheim Ducks center Tim Washe go after the puck on a face-off during the second period of Game 6 in the first round of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs series Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Connor Murphy, second from left, celebrates his goal with teammates as Anaheim Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal stands in goal during the first period of Game 6 in the first round of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs series Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Anaheim Ducks center Tim Washe, left, puts a hit on Edmonton Oilers defenseman Ty Emberson during the second period of Game 6 in the first round of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs series Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Anaheim Ducks left wing Chris Kreider, left, celebrates his goal on Edmonton Oilers goaltender Connor Ingram, right, during the first period of Game 6 in the first round of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs series, Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Poehling, right, celebrates his goal with center Mason McTavish during the first period of Game 6 in the first round of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs series against the Edmonton Oilers, Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)