76ers’ Nick Nurse Has ‘Pretty Positive’ Update on Jared McCain

Nick Nurse discussed Jared McCain's injury before Friday's game against the Orlando Magic.

Oct 16, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain (20) dribbles between Brooklyn Nets Ziaire Williams (1) and guard Shake Milton (7) during the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

It’s been a tough week for the Philadelphia 76ers—and especially for the rookie, Jared McCain.

In the fourth quarter of the Sixers’ Wednesday night matchup against the Brooklyn Nets, McCain took a hard fall, which required attention from the medical staff and a trip to the hospital.

“It was rough,” said Sixers head coach Nick Nurse after the game. “Got the report, he’s going to the hospital to get checked out. Obviously, he was having some trouble breathing there but maybe got the wind knocked out of him, but not sure what was going on there. Never quite seen one like that before. So, let’s hope he’s okay and see what the report is from the hospital.”

Oct 12, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain (20) drives to the basket against Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) during the first half at the TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images / Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Fortunately, McCain avoided a major setback. While the young guard will still go through a recovery process, he was discharged from the hospital the following morning. After getting evaluated on Thursday, McCain didn’t show signs of having a concussion but was diagnosed with a pulmonary contusion.

At that point, the Sixers declared him day-to-day, with a guaranteed absence against the Orlando Magic on Friday for the preseason finale.

Ahead of the matchup, Nick Nurse addressed reporters in Orlando and offered an update on the rookie guard once again. It seems the Sixers remain optimistic about where McCain’s at physically just a couple of days after the fall.

“He did get on the treadmill and run today without any issues,” Nurse told reporters, according to USA Today’s Cody Taylor. “The next step is to get him on the court tomorrow to see how he is progressing. I think from where we thought maybe that thing would be, it is pretty positive news.”

The Sixers won’t play again until next Wednesday’s regular-season opener against the Milwaukee Bucks. McCain’s status for that matchup is currently unknown.

McCain joins a list of several Sixers who could potentially be on the injury report come Tuesday.

Joel Embiid missed the entire preseason due to knee injury management. While the Sixers don’t believe he dealt with any setbacks since he underwent surgery, recovered, and returned last season, Embiid intends to be on a strict resting plan this season. His status for next Wednesday is up in the air.

So is Paul George’s, after he suffered a knee injury in Monday night’s game against the Atlanta Hawks. Then, when the Sixers were in the first quarter of Friday’s game, Tyrese Maxey left after five minutes as he dealt with a thumb contusion.

The positive news is the Sixers haven’t faced any setbacks that are expected to be in play for the long term. Soon, the team will get a better idea of who will be available on Wednesday.