Paul George will begin his suspension Saturday night. (Matt Slocum/AP)
The NBA announced Saturday that Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George must serve a 25-game suspension without pay for violating the league’s antidrug policy.
George, 35, will begin his suspension by sitting out Saturday’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans and will remain sidelined until a March 25 game against the Chicago Bulls. The nine-time all-star, who has averaged 16.0 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists this season, will be eligible to return for a possible playoff run; entering Saturday, Philadelphia (26-21) is in sixth place in the Eastern Conference.