The Philadelphia 76ers played host to the Brooklyn Nets Wednesday night. The preseason matchup lost some luster when news came forward that Sixers stars Joel Embiid, Paul George, and the Nets’ Ben Simmons would all miss the game, as would veteran Kyle Lowry.
Exactly as Nick Nurse would have it, the game began with the Sixers playing with a controlled sense of pace. The Sixers would push in transition at every opportunity they had while introducing a rather new wrinkle: lobs.
The Sixers have not often been known as a team that partakes in lob attempts, partly because they haven’t been one to aggressively dunk or have the necessary athleticism to create lob opportunities, or “lobortunities.” This season that looks to change for Philadelphia.
With Tyrese Maxey playing the role of the maestro, the Sixers put on a dunking clinic with Kelly Oubre and KJ Martin, who started in place of Caleb Martin tonight, acting as the beneficiaries. Both Oubre and Martin made the most of their opportunities, combining for 30 points on the night.
It remains to be seen if the Sixers will continue quite this level of pace when Joel Embiid returns; it figures to reduce some when that does happen, but at the very least, the Sixers will be able to turn on the afterburners in minutes Embiid is not on the court.
Philadelphia not only dominated the pace but also the rebounding battle in an effort led by Andre Drummond, KJ Martin, Guerschon Yabusele, and…Jared McCain? Yes, it was a strong collective effort tonight by the Sixers, who continue to look to rebound with purpose, especially defensively, in order to establish their desired pace.
As the fourth quarter came and went, the Sixers continued to experiment, as Nick Nurse tends to do, and rolled out the ultimate small-ball of Jeff Dowtin Jr., Jared McCain, Lester Quinones, Ricky Council the IV, and Justin Edwards. That lineup began closing out the final quarter until Jared McCain took a tough fall that required the assistance of the medical team.
It’s difficult to say what exactly the injury was, but McCain was struggling to breathe and noticeable coughing as he attempted to get to his feet. He was eventually helped off the court by the medical staff and went immediately to the locker room.
*An update on McCain will be given once more is known.
The Sixers would go on to substitute the rest of their deep reserves and go on to win the game by a final score of 117-95.
*Update
After the game, Sixers reps informed the media that Jared McCain is being evaluated by medical staff following the fall, including for a concussion, and that further updates would be made as appropriate. Head coach Nick Nurse quickly followed that up by informing the media that McCain was on his way to the hospital to be examined.
*Further updates will be announced as they are known.
