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Paul George was added to the Philadelphia 76ers’ injury report with an illness hours before Game 7 against the Boston Celtics, giving Saturday night’s elimination game another late wrinkle.

George is officially listed as probable, according to the 76ers’ updated injury report, so the expectation remains that he will play. But for the Celtics, the timing still matters. Philadelphia has already erased a 3-1 series deficit, George is coming off one of his best games of the series, and Boston is trying to stop this matchup from turning into one of the uglier playoff collapses in franchise history.

The Celtics are still favored by the setting and by history. Game 7 is at TD Garden, where Boston gets the benefit of the home crowd. But Philadelphia’s late momentum, George’s illness and Jayson Tatum’s own health scare have made the hours before tipoff more interesting than expected.

Paul George Is Dealing With an Illness and Officially Listed as Probable

George was added to the injury report Saturday afternoon because of an illness and is listed as probable for Game 7. Joel Embiid is also listed as probable as he continues his recovery from appendectomy surgery.

That designation is important: probable usually means the player is expected to be available. But it does not make the illness irrelevant, especially in a Game 7 where rotations tighten, minutes rise and every burst of energy matters.

George has been a major part of Philadelphia’s comeback. He is averaging 18.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.7 steals in the series while shooting 48.7% from the field and 54.3% from 3-point range. He also scored 23 points in the Sixers’ Game 6 win, helping Philadelphia force the deciding game.

From Boston’s side, the biggest question is not simply whether George plays. It is whether the illness affects his legs, his defensive activity or his shot-making late in the game.

George has been one of Philadelphia’s most important two-way players in the series. If he is less explosive getting over screens, less comfortable chasing Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum, or less able to punish Boston from the perimeter, the Celtics could have a cleaner path to restoring control of the matchup.

But Boston cannot treat the probable tag like an absence. George is expected to be there, and the Celtics still have to prepare for the version of him that helped push this series back to TD Garden.

Jayson Tatum Is Now Questionable After Left Leg Stiffness Concern

Tatum is now reportedly questionable. His Game 6 issue was described as left leg/calf stiffness, not left knee stiffness.

Tatum left Game 6 in the third quarter and later explained that his leg felt stiff. Heavy’s Alder Almo reported that Tatum downplayed the issue after the game and said he expected to play in Game 7.

Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla dismissed the concern and said, “He’ll play.”

That does not mean Celtics fans will ignore it. Tatum’s movement, lift and defensive activity will be watched closely from the opening quarter. Boston does not merely need Tatum available. It needs him capable of controlling a Game 7 after the Sixers’ defense bothered the Celtics in back-to-back elimination games.

The Tatum-George health subplot also makes this feel less like a routine injury-report update and more like a pressure-point story. Both teams expect their star wings to play. The question is which one looks closer to full strength when the game tightens.

Game 7 is at TD Garden Tonight

Celtics-Sixers Game 7 is scheduled for Saturday, May 2, at TD Garden in Boston. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET, with the game airing on NBC and streaming on Peacock.

NBC Sports noted that this will be the ninth Game 7 between the Celtics and 76ers, the most between two teams in NBA history. Boston is 6-2 in the previous eight Game 7 meetings with Philadelphia.

That history is useful, but it will not guard Tyrese Maxey, slow Embiid or decide whether George’s illness becomes a real factor. Boston had a chance to end this series twice already and failed both times. The Celtics now get the one advantage they earned over the regular season: one more game at home.

How to watch Celtics vs. 76ers Game 7

Game 7 tips off at 7:30 p.m. ET from TD Garden. The game will be televised on NBC and streamed on Peacock. NBC’s broadcast team is scheduled to include Noah Eagle, Reggie Miller, Jamal Crawford and Zora Stephenson, according to NBC Sports.

For the Celtics, the equation is simple but uncomfortable. They need Tatum to look healthy, they need to handle Philadelphia’s early punch, and they need to make George work if the illness is affecting him at all.

George being probable does not flip the series. But in a Game 7 that already carries enormous pressure for Boston, it gives the Celtics one more thing to test — and one more reason this matchup feels unsettled right up to tipoff.