NEW YORK — The Philadelphia 76ers finished the 2022-23 season on Sunday when they knocked off the Brooklyn Nets, 134-105, on the road. They finished the season 54-28.
The Sixers sat their top seven players: the starting lineup, De’Anthony Melton and Georges Niang. That allowed young guys such as Mac McClung to get an opportunity.
McClung, who signed a two-way deal with the Sixers before the All-Star break, took advantage of his minutes, He had 20 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in 33 minutes. It has been a whirlwind for the 2023 slam dunk champion. He played in the G League championship, flew to Atlanta and then Brooklyn in a four-day span.
“Just a blessing, really,” McClung said afterward. “I feel like we were down in Wilmington for so long. It’s hard work down there and it’s a great opportunity for us to get come up here and really just kind of like a reward for all the hard work we’ve done, and really, thanks to coach for letting us play, man. I had the best time out there for us.”
McClung was in the G League all season with the team’s affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, and he worked hard on his game. He won the NBA’s slam dunk contest in Salt Lake City with a scintillating performance and then led the Blue Coats to a title before playing the final two games with the Sixers.
“This year has been just a lot,” he laughed and smiled. “It’s been amazing. It’s all been something to be really grateful for, but it’s like I haven’t stopped. I’ve just been running around here and just trusting the universe and trying to be the best me every day.”
McClung can’t be on the playoff roster because he is on a two-way deal, so he has his plans for a summer of improvement.
“Just stay the course,” he added. “I got my trainers and everybody working on my body, working on my shot, working on my point guard skills, and I think the biggest thing is experience. When you get there and you’ve been there before, that’s another level of confidence and just being sure of yourself.”
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