Paul George will make Indiana Pacers season debut on Sunday

All-Star forward Paul George, who suffered a gruesome compound fracture in his right leg last summer, will return to the Indiana Pacers on Sunday against the Miami Heat.

George has been forced to sit out nearly the entire 2014-15 season after he suffered a broken leg while playing during a FIBA Basketball World Cup scrimmage in Las Vegas on Aug. 1. George underwent surgery to repair the fracture, and was expected to miss the season.

George announced Saturday on Twitter that he will play Sunday as the Pacers continue their final push to make the playoffs. Indiana entered Saturday in 10th place in the Eastern Conference, 1 1/2 games back of eighth-place Miami.

“I’m excited, but at the same time I’m aware I’m still in a rehab stage and will continue to work to get back to full strength,” said George, in a statement posted on Twitter.

The Pacers announced that George, Coach Frank Vogel and team doctor Tim Hupfer will speak to the media after Saturday’s practice.

George averaged 21.7 points and 6.8 rebounds per game last season en route to capturing his second All-Star honor. The Palmdale native also was named a first team NBA defensive team selection.

How much George can contribute to the Pacers after being forced to sit out the vast majority of the season, remains to be seen. A win Sunday would go a long way in helping the Pacers reach the postseason.

“We’re happy to have Paul back in uniform and this is just another step in his rehabilitation from the injury,” Pacers President Larry Bird said in a statement.

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Dallas Mavericks forward Chandler Parsons was scheduled to sit out Saturday night’s game against Golden State because of swelling in his right knee, raising questions about his availability just two weeks before the playoffs.

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The Atlanta Hawks signed 6-foot-11 forward Austin Daye to a multiyear contract. Daye played in 26 games, including four starts, with San Antonio before he was waived by the Spurs on Jan. 17. He averaged a career-high 7.5 points with the Detroit Pistons in the 2010-11 season.