After missing three games due to a sore right shoulder, Thunder forward Paul George returned to the court Tuesday night on the road against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
George recorded 25 points, five rebounds and two assists in the 131-120 loss to the Timberwolves. In his first game back, he struggled a bit shooting from the field after converting on just 8-of-25 shots, including 4-of-14 from beyond the arc.
George initially suffered the injury last week against the Denver Nuggets. While details of the injury are not yet known, George said the shoulder felt fine after his first game back on the court.
As George noted, he looked to be off on some of his shot attempts throughout the night on Tuesday. The rust was likely expected, though, after suffering an injury that directly impacts his shooting motion.
Perhaps the most important news of the night was that he was able to play in the game. Shoulder injuries can be a bit tricky to return from so that was encouraging that he managed to play. Of course, it is not yet known if he is 100 percent, or if he’ll continue to struggle to shoot, but he is back nonetheless.
The Thunder have struggled for the most part since returning from the All-Star break. The club has posted a 2-5 record in that span and has failed to play consistently for entire games, often facing double-digit deficits in the first half.
Oklahoma City has 18 games remaining in the season to get things back on track as they continue a four-game road trip Thursday night against the Portland Trail Blazers.
