PHOENIX — Paul George is back, this time with the Philadelphia 76ers.

He scored 15 points in his return from a left knee injury Monday night and called his performance in his regular-season debut “rusty.”

“The great thing about it is I was able to go out there and compete without any thought about my body. I felt great,” George said after 32 minutes of play in a 118-116 loss to the Phoenix Suns.

George was 4-for-14 from the field and missed a potential game-tying goal in the final seconds — and he said after the game that he thought the 76ers were down by one point instead of two. He was in trouble early and didn’t score in the first quarter, committing seven of Philadelphia’s fourteen turnovers.

But he got going and finished with five rebounds and four assists.

“As the game went on, I felt great,” the nine-time All-Star said. “My knee was doing better than expected. I wanted to play through that, build up the endurance and get me through the next few games.”

George, 34, signed a four-year, $212 million contract with Philadelphia after five seasons with the LA Clippers.

Before the game, 76ers coach Nick Nurse said center Joel Embiid, who also hasn’t played because of a sore left knee, is “doing a little better and making steps in the right direction.” The coach said the 7-foot center will be re-evaluated on Tuesday. Philadelphia’s next game is Wednesday night in Los Angeles against the Clippers.