January 28, 2026
Bill Streicher/Imagn Images
Jared McCain's three-point barrage incited hysteria on the home bench during the Sixers' win on Tuesday.
PHILADELPHIA – For months, a night like Tuesday seemed inconceivable for Jared McCain.
McCain, whose meteoric rise to the top of the NBA Rookie of the Year Award race came to a screeching halt last December when he suffered a season-ending torn meniscus and had the start of his second season delayed by a torn UCL in his right thumb, has experienced more pronounced struggles in 2025-26 than anyone would have anticipated.
While McCain was thought to be a long-term staple of the Sixers' guard rotation, his season debut in early November was a harbinger of things to come. He went scoreless that night in Chicago, and has only on a few brief occasions looked to be finding his footing. And when McCain has played poorly, he has really played poorly; the Sixers reaching full strength made it impossible for head coach Nick Nurse to justify playing him any longer. Over more than two months, McCain never found himself.
Until, perhaps, the fourth quarter of a nightmarish game in Charlotte on Monday. The Sixers, in between two miserable flights delayed by miserable weather, were lifeless in their worst game of the season. At one point they trailed the Hornets by more than 50 points.
But, in the most garbage of garbage time, McCain connected on four triples. For months Nurse has talked about how for McCain, perhaps the figurative ball would start rolling after he saw the literal ball go in a few times. And then...
Jared McCain made four three-point shots in the fourth quarter of the Sixers' loss in Charlotte on Monday: pic.twitter.com/xEEuxHOvoj
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) January 26, 2026
For most people, McCain's three-point barrage at the end of Monday's game in Charlotte represented the first glimmer of hope that he could be a difference-maker for these Sixers in months. "Tough way to find those minutes right there, for sure," Nurse said on Tuesday evening, "but at least we got that done."
McCain acknowledged after Tuesday's win over the Milwaukee Bucks that his late shot-making the day before netted him more confidence. It certainly looked like it, as McCain followed up Monday's tease with his best performance of the season on Tuesday, scoring 17 points on only eight shot attempts and making five of his six long-range attempts, including four in the final frame to help the Sixers put the game out of reach.
For McCain, it was cathartic. For viewers, it might have been surprising. But another struggling sophomore who broke out of a slump on Tuesday knew it was coming McCain.
"That's Jared McCain, man," Justin Edwards said. "Everybody knows who he is. I wouldn't consider that a breakout game, because that's what he can do."
With Quentin Grimes sidelined due to an ankle sprain, Nurse had no choice but to turn to McCain as his third guard on Tuesday, and when rookie VJ Edgecombe found himself in foul trouble, McCain's importance once again heightened. He scored five quick points, with both of his quick makes being facilitated by Joel Embiid. McCain hopes he can continue benefitting from the attention Embiid draws on every possession.
"Obviously, the defense is going to gravitate towards him the most," McCain said. "And I think being able to play off him – I've always loved it. It's always been fun to play with him, off of him. I think it's easy to do it."
Nurse played Embiid and Tyrese Maxey together for much of the third quarter, so with a nine-point lead in hand the Sixers were going to need a spark from a lineup without their two best players to begin the fourth quarter. As Paul George continued a heater which ended up leading him to tie the franchise record for made threes in one game at nine, he found a sidekick in McCain.
"It was huge," George said. "It was huge. It felt more like him, it felt more like his rhythm, his pace, his timing. I thought all the shots he took came in the flow of the offense. It just didn't look like he was rushed at all, he was just in his comfort zone, and that's what you love to see... He works on his game tirelessly, and he shoots it effortlessly."
McCain opened the fourth quarter with a three, then connected on back-to-back long-range tries, the second of which came in transition and forced a Doc Rivers timeout. McCain stayed on the floor and added another triple for good measure, this one coming from the corner. It punctuated a breakthrough, if not a breakout:
Jared McCain finally broke out of his struggles in the Sixers' win over Milwaukee on Tuesday:
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) January 28, 2026
17 points
6-8 FG
5-6 3P
All six of McCain's baskets: pic.twitter.com/86WsPaqHjX
For the second day in a row, McCain had knocked down four threes in the fourth quarter of a game. But this time, it was against a team scratching and clawing to stay alive, on national television and in front of a raucous crowd. It could not have been more different than the environment the day before. But McCain is certain the two performances are tied together.
"Just to see the ball go in as a shooter, that's all you want," McCain said. "Yesterday I saw the ball go in a few times and I think it carried over a bit."
This season has been tremendously difficult for McCain, who at times has become an afterthought as Maxey has ascended to the fringes of superstardom and Edgecombe has surpassed him in the pecking order. Nurse credited McCain for maintaining upbeat demeanor despite falling out of the rotation entirely for two weeks. "Positivity always pays off" said Nurse, who has continued to preach patience to McCain.
"Things will change," Nurse told McCain. "I guarantee you."
McCain has remained his vibrant self throughout these tribulations. His teammates have noticed, and when McCain's moment arrived, he was met with the same enthusiasm he has poured into the group.
VIBES. pic.twitter.com/6JpxMFoMlH
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) January 28, 2026
McCain acknowledged that he has made slight changes to his approach. He believed having longer stints aided him on Tuesday. He provided a 30-second explanation of how he has honed in on his breathing habits as he tries to stay present in the moment.
"Feeling the breath coming in through your nostrils," he explained, "and then feeling the heat on your upper lip."
Why did McCain finally find something on Tuesday? Maybe it was because of his expanded role. Maybe it was because his stints lasted longer than they usually do. Maybe it was because months of minutes finally hatched into more comfort. Maybe it really was because of his positivity or his breathing. Or maybe it was just because a great shooter was due for some makes after a whole lot of open misses over the last few months.
Whatever sparked it, Tuesday's heater got McCain looking and feeling like himself again. It gave the Sixers a palpable lift emotionally, too.
That it meant something McCain's teammates meant something to him.
"I couldn't ask for better teammates. They've been there for me when I was down, and when I'm up, they cheer for me as loud as possible, and I'm just grateful to have them," McCain said. "...Those are the moments where you're just grateful to be out there and see your team be that excited for you. That's all you want as a player making shots: you want your team to be excited for you. So when I looked over at the bench and they were all jumping up and down, it was a fun time."
