Former Duke basketball star [autotag]Jared McCain[/autotag] took the spotlight on Sunday night as he balled out in a winning effort for the Philadelphia Sixers against the Charlotte Hornets.
The 16th overall pick from this summer’s NBA dropped 27 points, setting a career-high, as the Sixers defeated the Hornets in overtime, 107-105. McCain tallied 23 of his points after halftime, shooting 10/18 from the floor and making three of his eight 3-point attempts.
Despite only playing 31 minutes off the bench, McCain led a Philadelphia team that included nine-time All-Star Paul George in scoring.
McCain hasn’t been able to crack the team’s starting five during his rookie season, but he clearly plays a crucial role off the bench. McCain dropped 18 points against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday, and his previous career high came on November 2 when he dropped 19 points against the Memphis Grizzlies. He’s averaging 10.2 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game in his debut NBA season.
The Sixers improved to 2-7 on the season with the victory with another game against the New York Knicks on Monday night.