Nick Nurse finally answers fans’ biggest prayers as 76ers snap skid

Back at home after a tough West Coast road trip that saw them continue their slump, the Philadelphia 76ers finally made a breakthrough win in overtime against the Hornets, improving their record to 2-7 and snapping a five-game losing streak.

After a tightly contested and low-scoring first half, the 76ers mounted a double-digit lead in the third frame. However, Charlotte did not go away, even sending the game to overtime where they also had multiple chances to snatch the lead and the game.

Instead, Philadelphia managed to get all the necessary stops in the rubber period to nab their first win at home this season. And the biggest reason for their win is Nick Nurse finally answering the fans’ biggest prayers.

76ers clinch breakthrough win as Jared McCain, Guerschon Yabusele dazzle

With Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid out of the fray and Paul George struggling against a Hornets defense doubling down on him, Jared McCain and Guerschon Yabusele combined for 47 points off the bench to lead the team to victory.

McCain easily played the best game of his career so far. The rookie guard registered 27 big points on 10 of 18 shooting from the field while also sinking three of his eight three-point tries. Adding a couple of dimes to his stat line, he clearly was the best player for the hobbled 76ers.

Right from the get-go, it was obvious that McCain was too good to tether to the bench, which many fans echoed. Thankfully, the coaching staff did not give him a short leash this time around, and they were ultimately rewarded.

Meanwhile, Yabusele continued to prove why fans were right in demanding the team to hand him a bigger role and more court time. With Andre Drummond struggling yet again, the Frenchman turned in 20 points and eight rebounds, converting on eight of his 13 shots, including two of his four attempts from downtown.

Yabusele has easily been the best minimum signing in the NBA so far this season, and his impact simply cannot be denied. Despite playing as an undersized center, he’s been above average defensively thanks to his physicality, and his scoring repertoire has been on full display as the team’s resident pick-and-pop option and occasional one-on-one post-up operator.

With Joel Embiid set to make his season debut in the next game, the Philadelphia 76ers will have to adjust accordingly once more. Hopefully, Nick Nurse and the entire coaching staff would continue to give Jared McCain and Guerschon yabusele more burn even when the team gets healthy.