Rookie Jared McCain Leads Depleted 76ers To Huge Overtime Win

McCain led Philadelphia in scoring in their crucial overtime victory.

Nov 10, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain (20) reacts after scoring against the Charlotte Hornets during the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

In a surprising turn of events, the Philadelphia 76ers entered their Sunday game against the Charlotte Hornets with the worst record in the Eastern Conference. With former MVP Joel Embiid sidelined for every game thus far, all-star guard Tyrese Maxey out with a hamstring injury, and free agent addition Paul George just three games into his season, injuries had much to blame for Philadelphia’s 1-7 record to this point. 

However, these injuries have provided an opportunity for rookie Jared McCain to step up into an elevated role for the 76ers, which he has been taking full advantage of. On Friday night against the Lakers, the former Duke Blue Devil played a career-high 31 minutes en route to 18 points on 4-of-9 shooting from deep. He followed this performance up with his best yet on Sunday against Charlotte. 

McCain scored a career-high 27 points, 23 of which coming in the second half and overtime, to lead the 76ers to a pivotal victory. He once again dialed in from deep, nailing three of his eight attempts from beyond the arc. This shot-making brilliance also revealed itself from the mid-range, where McCain converted some difficult attempts off the dribble. 

Throughout the game, McCain’s ball-handling stood out. As a prospect, many evaluators had questions regarding the dynamism of his handle, but in this game, it was more than effective. Though it’s not yet highly complex, his handle is tight, and with his speed at 6-foot-2, it helps him get downhill. Additionally, his elite pull-up shooting ability means he doesn’t need an elite handle to be a consistent offensive threat.

With Maxey out for two weeks, Philadelphia will continue to lean on McCain to fill their void of offensive creation. As the 76ers get their stars back from injury, McCain will have a great chance to complement their core three of Embiid, Maxey, and George as a key rotation contributor.

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