For most involved, Sunday’s Sixers-Nets regular-season finale fit the “meaningless game” label perfectly.
When asked pregame what he was trying to get out of the contest, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers didn’t name anything related to basketball.
Rivers joked that he aimed to be done in time to watch the end of The Masters.
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For Sixers two-way contract players Mac McClung and Louis King, the NBA was clearly of much greater importance than golf in Augusta, Georgia. And both did well with their opportunities to play extended minutes.
McClung recorded 20 points on 8-for-17 shooting, nine assists and nine rebounds. King had 20 points on 8-for-13 shooting and sunk four three-pointers in the Sixers' blowout win over Brooklyn.
“Just a blessing, really,” McClung said. “I feel like we were down in Wilmington for so long and it’s hard work down there, and it was a great opportunity for us to come up here. It’s kind of like a reward for all the hard work we’ve done. Really, thanks to Coach for letting us play, man. I had the best time out there.”
The days are surely starting to melt together for McClung and King, who won the G League championship with the Delaware Blue Coats in Texas, flew to Atlanta for the Sixers’ meeting with the Hawks, and then headed up to New York.
NBA
“It’s just been a complete grind,” King said. “We’ve been grinding all year, so I think our bodies are used to it by now. The last two days have been crazy for us — 4 a.m. flights to RGV and to Atlanta. It’s just been a lot of wear and tear on our bodies, but we’re prepared for anything they throw at us.”
King and McClung will be back in Brooklyn soon for Games 3 and 4 of the Sixers’ first-round playoff series against the Nets, although two-way players are ineligible to play in the postseason.
Even if they were eligible, it presumably would’ve taken extreme injury misfortune for either player to appear outside of garbage time. The tape from Sunday should be a bit more compelling to executives and evaluators around the league than anything in the dying minutes of a blowout. Beyond the offensive production, both King and McClung made eye-catching plays defensively. The 24-year-old King looked fluid, switchable and long on the ball. He was not close to the primary reason Cam Thomas scored 46 points; the Nets shot 4 for 13 when guarded by King, per NBA.com/Stats.
“Just making an impact as soon as I come into the game,” King said. “I think once I get a couple of deflections or steals, it just leads to other things and getting other guys open. Immediately, Coach said, ‘Go in the game and guard Cam Thomas’ from the jump. That’s one of the aspects of my game.”
Even with an obviously insurmountable lead in the fourth quarter, the Sixers appeared to care considerably about Thomas not reaching the 50-point mark. He missed his final five field-goal attempts.
“That was the goal, yeah,” King said with a laugh.
About a minute after he checked in, McClung poked the ball from Thomas, dove on the floor near the sideline, and clapped his hands when the official indicated the Sixers had possession.
Late in the fourth, McClung stepped up to take a charge on Patty Mills. After Montrezl Harrell and Paul Reed helped him up, Harrell pointed toward the Sixers bench and said a few words. In the locker room postgame, he made sure to formally introduce McClung to veteran Sixers assistant coach Dan Burke and facilitate a 1-on-1 conversation with the team’s de facto defensive coordinator.
McClung enjoyed his bright defensive moments.
“Absolutely. I think that’s something that I’ve heard a bunch about my game, so I just wanted to make a point that I’m athletic, I can guard, and that’s something I’ve got to keep getting better at,” he said. “And I’m going to keep working on it.”
No one has any doubts about McClung’s dunking. He threw down two in Brooklyn, though they were not nearly as elaborate as his dunk contest-winning slams. Sunday was about showing what he brings to the table as a player and perhaps helping himself get a little closer to more NBA chances.
“Just stay the course,” McClung said of his offseason plans. “I’ve got my trainers and everybody. Just working on my body, working on my shot, working on my point guard skills.
“I think the biggest thing is experience. When you get there and you’ve been there before, that’s another level of confidence and being sure of yourself.”