Yardbarker
Yardbarker
x
76ers rookie Jared McCain undergoes left knee surgery
Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain. Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Sixers rookie guard Jared McCain underwent successful surgery on Tuesday to repair the lateral meniscus tear in his left knee, according to a team press release. He remains out indefinitely, the statement adds. 

McCain experienced left knee soreness after a game against Indiana last week and underwent an MRI on Saturday, which revealed the extent of the injury. 

The 16th overall pick of June’s draft after one college season at Duke, McCain has been one of the most productive rookies in the NBA this fall, averaging 15.3 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 25.7 minutes per game, with a .460/.383/.875 shooting line in 23 appearances. 

He was named the East’s Rookie of the Month for games played in October and November. 

It’s a blow to the Sixers, though they are getting healthier at the guard spots. Tyrese Maxey, Eric Gordon and Kyle Lowry are all back in action after dealing with assorted ailments.

This article first appeared on Hoops Rumors and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

TODAY'S BEST

LeBron James Stunned by Son’s Change in Appearance
NBA

LeBron James Stunned by Son’s Change in Appearance

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is in peak off-season mode, enjoying his time off while staying ready for his upcoming 23rd season in the NBA, eighth with Los Angeles. James averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists for the Lakers last season. On a separate note, his youngest son, Bryce James, is preparing for his first collegiate season with the Arizona Wildcats, where he committed early in 2025. Before this new chapter, he spent most of his high school basketball career playing for Sierra Canyon, where he won a State Division 1 title in his senior year. Meanwhile, upon Bryce's first trip back home since leaving for college, James was taken aback by his appearance. In the Lakers star's latest Instagram story, he welcomes home his youngest son after his first stint away at Arizona. Within the video, James is overcome with excitement as he points out Bryce's latest physical change to his 159 million followers: his beard. "Y'all see his beard? Oh my goodness!" said James. Born in 2007, Bryce is just 18 years old and stands 6'6 tall ahead of his first season with the Wildcats. Primarily playing the shooting guard position, he's poised for a bright future under legendary coach Tommy Lloyd, who is entering his fifth season with the team. Lloyd's 61 wins in his first two seasons with Arizona are an NCAA Division 1 record. The Wildcats will open their season on November 3 against the defending champion Florida Gators at a neutral site in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Jets QB Justin Fields had 'alarming' practice against Giants
NFL

Jets QB Justin Fields had 'alarming' practice against Giants

New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields found out he has a long way to go following his performance at Tuesday's joint practice with the New York Giants. Per Connor Hughes of SNY TV, Fields started hot at the practice before struggling during the move-the-ball period. "Very interesting practice for #Jets QB Justin Fields," Hughes posted on X. "He finished 7 of 12 with a TD. 5 of 5 to start practice. Then 0 for 4. Finished 2 of 3 with the really impressive TD to Jeremy Ruckert in red zone (starter 18 yard line). "The offensive performance was a bit alarming in move-the-ball period of practice. Fields Co. had three attempts to get down field. They didn’t gain a first down. Only gained yards twice (two short Breece Hall runs). Three sacks. That needs to be fixed. #Giants defense toyed with NYJ during that period." Some Jets fans online thought Hughes was using hyperbole to characterize the practice, but he doubled down on his judgment of the offense. Fields looked strong on his first and only drive in the Jets' 30-10 win over the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night. He went 3-of-4 passing for 42 yards and rushed two times for 14 yards and a touchdown. However, the Giants defense at the joint practice is a much better unit than the short-handed one the Packers trotted out for the first preseason game. Fields' issues seen with the Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers, with holding the ball too long and not being able to pass consistently downfield, were a factor against the Giants. Following Saturday's game, Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said Fields was getting better but had a lot to improve on. Tuesday's practice was a humbling reminder that Fields needs to become a consistent passer if the Jets are going to move the ball on good defenses in the regular season.

Former crew chief frustrated by the 'ridiculous' racing at Watkins Glen
NASCAR

Former crew chief frustrated by the 'ridiculous' racing at Watkins Glen

It is no secret that NASCAR's current road-course package has not been very good. Aside from the mile-and-a-half tracks that were once the least competitive and exciting in the series, those races are the rare bright spot for the Next Gen Car since its inception in 2022. Shane van Gisbergen drove away to an 11.1-second win over Christopher Bell in Sunday's race at Watkins Glen and set multiple records in the process. While the racing was not particularly exciting, that was not what left former crew chief and current analyst Steve Letarte frustrated the most following the weekend. A recurring issue in each race over the weekend was drivers utilizing the runoff areas around the track and not staying on the traditional racing surface, which ultimately led to some crashes in Saturday's Xfinity race. "So, I hate track limits that have to be officiated," Letarte said on "Inside the Race." "Because I like tracks that you should just stay on the track. I didn't think it mattered. Now, I am team get-them-back-on-the-race-track-at-Watkins-Glen. I don't love the Watkins Glen that I see. ... I think Turn 1 is not as great of a corner with no exit respect or responsibility. You just blow the exit. I think the carousel is a much easier corner, being able to just go driver's left. "I also think Turn 6 is going — let me add, that I think the (Connor) Zilisch, SVG wreck between the last two corners (in the Xfinity Series race) happened because they left the track, and the Austin Hill wreck with Michael McDowell happened off the race track. Now, both could have been avoided, we can talk about who's at fault. What I'm saying is, I've never driven a lap at Watkins Glen. I can analyze what happens between the white lines." This comes one year after rumble strips were placed in Turn 1 to keep drivers from using the runoff area, and that clearly has not worked. As the field has got closer together, using up all the track has become a common way for drivers to establish momentum, especially as they prepare for the right-hander going into The Esses at Watkins Glen. The bottom line is NASCAR's road-racing product needs to get better and Letarte wants to see race cars "stay on the race track because I think it will be a better race." Van Gisbergen's historic dominance certainly does not help, but the overall road course product is not great. Whether NASCAR makes some changes to the runoff areas and enforces track limits remains to be seen, but that still may not be the biggest issue if the racing does not improve.

Brewers' run of dominance makes MLB history with more left to achieve
MLB

Brewers' run of dominance makes MLB history with more left to achieve

Not only did the Milwaukee Brewers rough up a Cy Young contender on Tuesday night, but they made MLB history in the process. Milwaukee beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 14-0, chasing Paul Skenes from the game after only four innings. Skenes' gave up four runs off six hits in one of his worst outings of the season and then the Brewers tacked on 10 more runs throughout the rest of the game. The Brew Crew hit five home runs on the night. The win was Milwaukee's 75th of the season, extending its current win streak to 11 games. And by reaching 11 games, the Brewers, who own the best record in all of baseball at 75-44, accomplished their second win steak of at least 11 games this year. Milwaukee's latest run of dominance made the Brewers the first MLB team since the 2015 Toronto Blue Jays to record multiple win steaks of 11+ games in a season. To truly put their 2025 season in perspective, the Brewers became just the 13th team ever to accomplish two or more win streaks of at least 11 games in a season since 1900. So throughout the past 125 years, spanning several different eras of the sport, this year's Brewers team already has a case as one of the most dominant. Of course, it will take finishing the job and capturing the franchise's first World Series title to truly earn the honor of being recognized as one of baseball's greatest teams. With 75 wins in the middle of August, Milwaukee is now shooting for a team mark before worrying about making the franchise's first World Series appearance since 1982. 97 wins is the goal to become the winningest regular-season Brewers team ever, surpassing the 2018 club. Just seven years ago, that 2018 Brewers team set a new standard for the franchise in terms of a top single-season win total, going 96-67 in the regular season before falling in the National League Championship Series. Prior to that, the only Brewers team to ever win a league championship was that 1982 squad, when they won 95 games and the AL pennant, before losing the World Series in seven games.

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!