76ers Win Behind Jared McCain as Joel Embiid Sits Out with Knee Swelling

76ers Win Behind Jared McCain as Joel Embiid Sits Out with Knee Swelling

PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia 76ers secured a much-needed 113-98 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night, despite being without their star center Joel Embiid, who was ruled out due to swelling in his left knee. The win ended a five-game losing streak for Philadelphia.

"He's dealing with some swelling in his knee today," said 76ers head coach Nick Nurse. "He got to the arena and was ruled out. They're going to treat it all weekend, so he'll be out for Sunday’s game against the LA Clippers as well. Hopefully, we’ll have an update on Monday."

Embiid had played 35 minutes and scored 35 points with 11 rebounds in a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday. However, after initially not being listed on the injury report, he was later added for left knee injury management, as he did not participate in the shootaround. Despite expectations that he might warm up before the game, Embiid was ruled out about 30 minutes before tipoff.

"His knee had some swelling from the last game. It’s something we were aware of coming into the season," Nurse explained. "They did what they could to remove the swelling, but it just didn't feel good enough for him to go tonight."

In addition to Embiid, the 76ers will also be without Paul George for Sunday's game against his former team, the Clippers. George sustained a bone bruise in his left knee against Memphis, but an MRI showed no structural damage, and he will miss at least two games.

With both Embiid and George sidelined, rookie guard Jared McCain stepped up, delivering a stellar performance to lead Philadelphia to the win. McCain, the 16th overall pick from Duke, scored 30 points, marking his seventh consecutive game with at least 20 points. His consistent scoring has been one of the bright spots for the 76ers this season.

Late in the fourth quarter, after making one of his six 3-pointers, McCain was caught on camera saying, "I'm rookie of the year!" He later laughed it off, admitting, "I did say that. It was pretty clear. It's one of my goals for the season, obviously, but it was just that competitiveness coming out of me. I respect every other rookie in this league, but I’m a believer in myself."

The 76ers’ victory was also fueled by a strong performance from Tyrese Maxey, who scored 26 points on 11-for-17 shooting. Despite Brooklyn’s 26-4 run that put the Nets back into the game, the 76ers remained resilient. The team gathered themselves, with Maxey emphasizing the importance of staying together: “We came together, talked about it. They're going to go on runs, but we can't just lay down. We have to do something about it, get stops, run the ball, and stay together as one team.”

This victory marked another step forward for the 76ers, who have had limited court time with their full roster. Embiid, George, and Maxey have only played 6:07 together as a trio this season, all of which came in Wednesday’s loss to Memphis.

The 76ers will have to continue navigating their season without some of their stars, but McCain’s breakout performance offers hope as the team looks to build momentum.