Pacers' Paul George: Struggles in Wednesday's loss

George (ankle) registered 18 points (6-22 FG, 2-11 3Pt, 4-4 FT), six rebounds, three assists, and three steals in 38 minutes during the Pacers' 96-85 loss to the Hawks on Wednesday.

Analysis:

After practicing on Tuesday, George returned to the lineup on Wednesday following a three-game stint in which he was sidelined due to a sore ankle. However, he hardly looked like himself, and couldn't find the bottom of the net very often. Through 12 appearances in 2016-17, George has now had three showings with more shot attempts than points. Still, the star forward is averaging 20.8 points to go along with 6.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.8 steals, and 0.6 blocks in 34.9 minutes per game, and his 43.9 percent mark from the field thus far is actually George's best since his rookie and sophomore campaigns, when he shot 45.3 and 44.0 percent respectively.