Sixers Bell Ringer: Jared McCain, ring the bell, bro

Sixers Bell Ringer regular season rankings:
Jared McCain – 3
Tyrese Maxey – 2
Paul George – 2
Guerschon Yabusele – 2
Kelly Oubre, Jr. – 1

The Sixers hosted the undefeated 12-0 NBA Cleveland Cavaliers at the Wells Fargo Center on Wednesday night. The Sixers were without Joel Embiid and Paul George on the second day of the game due to knee injuries. Tyrese Maxey missed his fourth straight game with a hamstring injury and will be reevaluated on Friday. Andre Drummond was unavailable due to illness.

Despite being significantly undermanned, the Sixers stood firm and made a game of it. The Sixers trailed by four points after the opening period, but put together one of their better quarters of the young season, outscoring the Cavaliers 27-17 in the second frame and taking a 54-48 lead at the break.

As the Sixers have often done this season, they struggled to get out of the gate in the third quarter, and the Cavaliers took an eight-point lead late in the third quarter. before a pair of free throws from Eric Gordon and a Kelly Oubre, Jr. just before the third quarter buzzer put the ball in play and they headed back to the fourth quarter. With just over five minutes left, the Sixers could have cut the lead to two on a three-pointer from Jared McCain, but that was the closest they could get. Donovan Mitchell showed why he is an All-Star and one of the best guards the league has to offer with a strong shooting performance late in the final period to give the Cavaliers a 114-106 victory.

The Sixers will be back in action on Friday when they travel to Orlando for their second NBA Cup group game. The matchup with the Magic will be the first game of a three-game road trip for the Sixers.

Now as for the Bell Ringer, I’m not sure there needs to be much of a discussion about it. The Sixers’ bell ringer for tonight might be none other than rookie sensation Jared McCain.

Jared McCain: 34 points, 10 assists, 2 steals, 2 rebounds, 6 three-pointers

The Sixers’ rookie continued to impress with a career-high 34 points on 12 of 26 from the field and 6 of 12 from beyond the three-point arc. McCain’s 34 points set a new NBA single-game season high, passing the 33 points set by No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher in the Atlanta Hawks’ win over the New York Knicks last Wednesday night. McCain continues to showcase his dynamic scoring ability at all three levels, finishing in the trees above players like Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley and finding a home in midfield with pull-up jumpers and bump fades for his six three-pointers.

The rookie continues to exude confidence and plays with a poise that goes far beyond his age. While McCain’s goals were outstanding earlier this season, his ten assists tonight show he’s more than just a goalscorer. McCain was able to use his scoring prowess to create opportunities for his teammates, making quick and decisive decisions, including a great one-handed skip pass for a three-pointer from Reggie Jackson, which showcased some of McCain’s more advanced playmaking skills.

Here are all ten of McCain’s assists from tonight:

McCain’s stats tonight also put him in elite company, along with Steph Curry and Jason Kidd, the only rookies in NBA history to reach those totals in a game.

We’re still a long way from the end of the NBA season, but McCain is soon laying claim to NBA Rookie of the Year. The Sixers appear to have struck gold again in the middle of the first round with another guard from a Blue Blood program. Is it too early to say the Sixers have a Big 4?

Sit back and enjoy all 34 of McCain’s points: