Sixers rookie comes up big in Tyrese Maxey's absence

McCain was instrumental to Philadelphia, forcing overtime with a series of big buckets. With 2:50 left in the fourth, McCain made a shot to put the Sixers within one and followed it up with a three a minute later to give his team a two-point edge. 

In the OT period, he made another clutch shot to put the Sixers up by one with 1:26 left in the game. Furthermore, he forced a shot-clock violation with his defense when guarding LaMelo Ball at a critical juncture. 

McCain's heroics not only allowed the Sixers to snap a five-game losing streak but gave the team a huge morale boost during an early season slump — the Sixers were 1-7 entering Sunday's game. 

More than anything, the Duke alum proved the Sixers made the right call by drafting him with the No. 16 pick in this year's draft.  

While it's still early in the season, McCain is making a case to win Rookie of the Year. The 20-year-old is fourth in points among all rookies (10.2) but is 16th in minutes per game. 

With Maxey expected to be out for a while, McCain is expected to see a huge boost in his playing time. He looks primed to climb to the top of the rookie scoring charts in the coming weeks.