Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George delivered a candid assessment after a 108–94 loss to the New York Knicks on Friday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena, a defeat that left Philadelphia trailing 3–0 in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
George, who finished with 15 points on 6-of-18 shooting, didn’t avoid the emotional weight of the moment as he addressed the media. “It happens. It happens. I’ve been multiple places in my career where an instance like this happens. And all of these are in the radius of one another.”
He also acknowledged the overwhelming presence of Knicks supporters inside the arena. “There’s a long line of history of Knicks. And so, New York, I guess in this moment, they’re prideful, standing and supporting their guys. Yeah, you can’t stop Knicks fans from buying tickets. So it is what it is.”
Looking ahead to Game 4 on Sunday, George focused on execution and shot quality. “I mean, we’re playing well. I think we just got to generate some good looks, generate better shots. Hopefully that gets us in a good rhythm.”
He expanded on late-game offensive issues. “But I think down the stretch, we got to generate better shots for each other.”
One of the major concerns came from a bench unit that failed to score until the fourth quarter. George was direct about the need for support. “Yeah, we do need a little push. Start groups on any given night are in the forties or close to it. So we definitely need a push, someone to come in and give us that extra little hump.”
He also praised the effort of injured star Joel Embiid, who returned to score 18 points despite physical limitations. “Yeah, it means everything. We know what he’s going through. We know how tough it is on his body and the work he’s putting in to get prepared to try to come out and play. We appreciate it.”
Rebounding remained a recurring issue in the loss, something George traced back to earlier struggles. “Yeah, I don’t know, man. That’s just all year it’s been a problem.”
He added context about the opponent’s style and execution. “They came up big with those offensive rebounds, which is a challenge.”
George also pointed to defensive intent and adjustments aimed at slowing New York’s perimeter creation. “Just try to get stops, create a little havoc on defense, some chaos, make them uncomfortable, try to steal some possessions.”
Despite the 0–3 deficit, George drew from previous playoff experience when asked about comebacks. “I mean, we’re right there. We’re just not finishing the game… I think we just got to take it one game at a time.”
He concluded with a reminder of how quickly momentum can shift in a series. “Give them credit, they’ve been huge down the stretch on their end. But I think the adjustments we can make, limit their possessions, their extra second possessions, take one game at a time.”
Jalen Brunson led New York with 33 points, pushing the Knicks one win away from a second straight conference finals appearance while Philadelphia now faces elimination pressure heading into Game 4.
