OKC Thunder Crush Sixers in First Matchup Since Jared McCain Trade
The loudest cheers from the crowd at Xfinity Mobile Arena crowd came for the Oklahoma City Thunder. The visitors led 21-15 over the Philadelphia 76ers late in the first quarter….
The loudest cheers from the crowd at Xfinity Mobile Arena crowd came for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The visitors led 21-15 over the Philadelphia 76ers late in the first quarter. Jared McCain checked into his first game against the Sixers since a trade that quickly became infamous in Philadelphia. He quickly buried two three-pointers to extend the Oklahoma City lead to 12.
The Thunder never looked back. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the defending champions cruised to a 17-point halftime lead and a 123-103 victory. VJ Edgecombe grinded for 35 points for the shorthanded Sixers, who were missing four of five starters including Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid.
McCain finished 5-for-11 from the field with 13 points in 25 minutes off the bench.
Sixers Trade Jared McCain
Daryl Morey dealt McCain to Oklahoma City on NBA Trade Deadline day with supposed plans for a subsequent trade that never materialized. Reports suggested the Sixers expected to acquire Kawhi Leonard. They instead held onto the Houston Rockets' 2026 first-round pick and three additional second-rounders.
The Philadelphia media flocked to the early shootaround on Monday. The pregame chatter focused on only one storyline. McCain himself made the rounds through the arena hallways with high fives and hugs for staff, former teammates, and anyone he came in contact with. He showed the same positive energy that endeared him to the city in his short tenure with the Sixers.
McCain entered Philadelphia averaging 12.3 points in his 19 night games since February 5 deal. He began his Thunder career with an outrageous three-point shooting streak, hitting 44 of his first 100 (44%) from beyond the arc. The former Duke Blue Devil shot 45-for-119 (38.1%) from three in 60 games with the Sixers.
Nick Nurse isn’t surprised that his former sparkplug guard has hit the ground running so smoothly with the best team in the NBA.
“He still was kind of dragging that knee brace around for quite a bit of the time and coming off the hand injury. I do think he was affected by that physically for a long stretch, but I thought he was coming out of it… I was expecting him to start getting back to his big streaky nights where he really gets it going and can score in bunches.”
-Nick Nurse
McCain stormed out of the gates for the 76ers in 2024-25. He confidently drove to the basket with a shifty style that kept defenders off balance. However, a torn lateral meniscus ended his rookie season in December. He also dealt with UCL and hand injuries earlier in the 2025-26 season.
The physical limitations, struggles on the defensive end, and lack of offensive rhythm landed him outside Nurse’s midseason rotation. VJ Edgecombe emerged as the backcourt complement to Tyrese Maxey while Quentin Grimes grew into a sixth man role.
Mark Daigneault and the Oklahoma City staff, however, have maximized a healthy McCain’s talent flawlessly in only one quarter of a season.
“He’s fit in very well with the group. It’s felt like he’s been here longer than he has. I think that’s a credit to him, and I think it’s a credit to our team. He’s come in with great respect for this group of guys, what they’ve accomplished, the continuity they have together. He’s done so with confidence though. He hasn’t been deferential. He’s been who he is.”
-Mark Daigneault
The Thunder have won 12 consecutive games to improve to 57-15. They've emphatically reestablish themselves as the favorites to repeat as title champions with a lead over the San Antonio Spurs for home-court advantage throughout the NBA Playoffs.
“It says a lot about our team, I think. The way that they have gone out of their way to try to make sure that we’re getting the best version of him (McCain). They do that with everybody, from guys we draft to two-way players to new acquisitions.”
-Mark Daigneault
