Painful, but Frisky — Sixers fall to Cavs but show promise
Cleveland Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell (45) goes up for a shot against Philadelphia 76ers’ Kelly Oubre Jr. (9) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
The 76ers lost their second straight game Wednesday night to the undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers 114-106 but put up a good fight.
Philadelphia drops to 2-9 on the season and holds the 14 seed in the East, while the Cavs remain at the 1 seed.
A game that was within 2 possessions for the majority of the 4th quarter didn’t go Philly’s way, as most games haven’t this year. However, putting up a respectable fight against the best team in basketball without Joel Embiid, Paul George, Tyrese Maxey, and Andre Drummond is something to be proud of. It may be hard to see now, but after Wednesday’s game, the 76ers have an opportunity to turn their entire season around.
Although this loss is painful as the win was right in our grasp, the Sixers have clearly found their guy in Jared McCain.
The 16th pick out of Duke is taking advantage of every minute that he is on the court.
He put up 34 and 10 with 6 made three-pointers, along with 2 steals.
His comfort on the court and the immense impact that he brings makes it hard to believe that he won’t become a starter in the near future. With Embiid and George likely playing on Friday against Orlando, it would make sense for Nick Nurse to throw out McCain as well to see what he can do with the big guys.
A starting lineup of Kyle Lowry/Kelly Oubre, McCain, Caleb Martin, George, and Embiid would be interesting to see. Once Maxey comes back in the near future, this will be even more dangerous.
McCain has once again proved that he is much more than just a TikToker with painted nails. He is an elite scorer and facilitator who is one of the best rookies in the NBA.
Also, as a reminder to those who think the season is lost: The Los Angeles Lakers were 2-10 to start the year in their 2022-2023 campaign and made the Western Conference Finals, only finally losing to the eventual NBA Champion Denver Nuggets. The Sixers season is far from over.
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Evan Hartenstein
Evan has been a member of the Philly Sports Reports team since March 2023. He is covering the 76ers and wants to pursue a long-lasting career in Sports Journalism.
