Sixers star Paul George has a bone bruise, will be reevaluated in one week

It turns out that Paul George suffered a bone bruise to his left knee and will be reevaluated in one week.

This news comes after 76ers coach Nick Nurse gave the impression that he wasn’t worried about George’s injury. The swingman exited Monday’s preseason road game against the Atlanta Hawks with a hyperextended left knee.

“PG was here today,” Nurse said Tuesday after practice at the Sixers practice facility. “He got it looked at again. Everything checked out OK. They are going to do some further imaging this afternoon to see if there’s anything else. He’s in good spirits.

“... But it’s OK for now. We will see what happens with the imaging.”

» READ MORE: Paul George ‘not too concerned’ after hyperextending knee in Sixers’ preseason win vs. Hawks

The imaging confirmed no structural damage.

George, like a number of the team’s veterans, did not practice Tuesday. However, he was spotted limping to his car with a wrap around his knee.

The recovery timeline for a hyperextended knee depends on the severity of the injury and whether surgery is required.

In this case, there’s no damage, and surgery is not necessary to correct the knee George awkwardly bent backward in the second quarter on Monday. A full recovery could take a couple of weeks to a month.

George will miss the remainder of the preseason, and his reevaluation will occur on the heels of the Oct. 23 season opener against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Wells Fargo Center (7:30 p.m., ESPN).

The Sixers signed the 6-foot-8, 220-pounder to a four-year, $211.5 million contract this summer to form a big three with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. The 14-year veteran remains one of the better wings in the league, and his addition could catapult the Sixers back into the NBA’s elite.

The six-time All-NBA selection and four-time All-Defensive pick averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.5 steals for the Los Angeles Clippers last season. He shot a career-best 41.3% on three-pointers.

» READ MORE: All-Star Tyrese Maxey says he’s been ‘blessed.’ The Sixers could say the same thing.

The Sixers will host the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday and conclude their preseason slate on Friday against the Orlando Magic at the Kia Center. After opening against the Bucks, they’ll embark on a two-game road trip against the Toronto Raptors on Oct. 25 and Indiana Pacers on Oct. 27.

If George does remain out for two weeks, the 34-year-old would miss all of those games. However, he told the Inquirer on Monday night that he’s “not too concerned” after hyperextending his knee.

“I didn’t realize what happened during the game,” Guerschon Yabusele said. “Then somebody said he wasn’t there. So I started checking on the bench. So I saw ... later on social media. I was shocked and scared, because I didn’t see it at first. I’m hoping nothing is too bad.

“We are waiting to hear [the news] and keep praying for him.”