Mar 23, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Vj Edgecombe (R) and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jared McCain (L) talk after the game at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
The genuine feelings ran the gamut for Jared McCain on Monday as he returned to Philadelphia with his new team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, to face his original team, the Sixers.
McCain faced all the emotions the only way he knows how, with a smile on his face and professed love in his heart.
There was the strangeness of going to stay in a hotel in the city where he cut his NBA teeth, to the anxiety of waking up on game day to sharing the chapel pregame with former teammates, this time in different team colors.
He celebrated his first basket of the night, a three in front of Sixers center Andre Drummond a little under two minutes after he entered the game in the first quarter, heartily, and showed even more flexing emotion when he nailed his second one on OKC's next possession.
Jared McCain era todo lo que necesitaba OKC para mejorar este año. pic.twitter.com/IzKN39esMq
McCain finished the night with 13 points in his 25 minutes of play as the Thunder coasted to their 12th consecutive win, 123-103. He was cheered wildly, and quickly, when he entered the game and each of his shot attempts drew the oohs and ahhs that they did when he played here. McCain signed each and every autograph on his way off the floor before meeting with the media after.
"It was really awesome," said McCain through his ever-present smile. "Even just waking up this morning, there's a lot of anxiety, kind of just about the game, nerves, excitement. So I knew I just had to control what I can control out there. Make a hustle play and just whenever I get out there, the emotions kind of go away, but it definitely tough going out there, especially against all my old teammates.
"You're going to have those feelings. There's that subtle feeling of you want to prove the team wrong that traded you, but you try and just kind of put that away and you just want to win."
Nothing but 🫶 from the city of Brotherly Love for JMac! @J_mccain_24 and OKC: 12 straight Ws pic.twitter.com/ANz19udqlV
Which is what his new team does really well. They improved to 17-3 since McCain joined the team, and the Thunder now have a league-best record of 57-15. He was traded to the defending champs, to an organization that followed a years-long plan perfectly and now are reaping the benefits with a title last season and perhaps more to come. He is in a great basketball culture right now after leaving an organization that is still searching for it.
"Just the culture in the OKC organization is amazing, as well as the Sixers," he said. "They'll figure it out. I have no doubt they'll figure it out. They've got great players over there and they'll figure it out."
Joel Embiid missed his 13th consecutive game after suffering a right oblique strain on February 26. There had been some hope that he may be available at some point over the past three games, but nothing yet.
Before the game, coach Nick Nurse said: "He was on the court again (Monday), had a decent workout. He was part of shootaround and then had a workout after shootaround. We got another, what I would consider, heavier session (Tuesday), and then we'll see where he's at."
Keeping Tyreese Maxey from shooting or dribbling a basketball is nearly impossible, it seems.
During timeouts he's on the floor, always inching towards the basket, often throwing up a left-handed shot from in close. He is constantly dribbling the ball, with both hands, while a protective splint protects the injured tendon in his right pinky. He is just itching to get back on the floor.
"He's working pretty hard, he's getting some decent workouts in, he's moving a lot," said Nurse. "He's doing some workouts primarily left-handed. He has taken some shots right-handed. I believe he's got another evaluation coming up this weekend or early next week. So, hopefully. We'll be at the three-week mark and we'll see from there. I know that's kind of the minimum, the three weeks, and we'll see where he is from there."
Paul George will be back in a Sixers uniform on Wednesday for the first time since serving his 25-game suspension for violating the league's anti-drug policy.
The team posted a 13-12 record without George, keeping their heads above water while George, and many others, missed time.
"They've done a decent job of hanging in there," said Nurse. "It shows you how fast 25 games go in this league. We talked about needing to hang in there and it's not just Paul, it's gotten times four worse with all those guys out. Guys have played some decent basketball, to pretty good. Have had their moments of not playing very well. Even in some of the games they've won they've figured out that even if they haven't played that well they hang around and figure out how to win at the end, which is all that matters to us at this point."
George will not see a limit-restriction when he returns and Nurse has praised his work ethic throughout the suspension. George is set to meet with the media on Tuesday afternoon.
