The Philadelphia 76ers erased a 29-point deficit to stun the Cleveland Cavaliers 114-106 on Thursday in NBA celebrity LeBron James’s first dwelling recreation since touchdown in Philly as a free agent.
Tyrese Maxey scored 32 factors and Joel Embiid added 24 — together with a bounce shot with 6:54 left to play that gave the Sixers their first lead of the evening, one they would not relinquish.
Former Celtics star Jaylen Brown, the Sixers’ different large low season acquisition, scored 21 factors and pulled down eight rebounds and four-time NBA champion James added 17 factors, 10 rebounds and 5 assists to assist the 76ers writer their largest comeback of the play-by-play period that began in 1996.
Cleveland, dissatisfied to not land hometown hero James after he introduced he was leaving the Los Angeles Lakers after eight seasons, seemed to be on a mission to indicate him what he missed.
James received one in every of his 4 championships with Cleveland, and Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson admitted earlier than the sport that James’s resolution to pursue a fifth crown with the 76ers left him “just depressed, honestly” for the primary couple of days after the transfer was introduced.
But he had purpose to be happy with the Cavaliers’ begin to their first recreation of the brand new season.
Donovan Mitchell scored 22 of his 32 factors within the first half because the Cavs seized management in opposition to a 76ers staff struggling to discover a rhythm and shield the ball.
Philadelphia middle Joel Embiid appeared creaky, and James had 5 of the Sixers’ 15 first-half turnovers — which led to 22 Cavs factors and provoked boos from Philly followers whose hopes of a title run have been raised by the arrivals of James and Brown.
The boos turned to raucous cheers because the re-energized 76ers opened the third quarter on an 11-0 run. They minimize the result in single digits on back-to-back baskets from Maxey that pulled them inside 80-73.
The Cavs had been struggling to regroup. Maxey decreased the deficit to 2 factors with a operating finger roll layup with 2:33 left within the third earlier than Cleveland reeled off six straight factors to take a 90-82 lead into the fourth quarter.
But the 76ers saved coming. They out-scored the Cavaliers 60-37 within the second half, clamping down defensively and giving up simply two turnovers.
Evan Mobley scored 18 factors for Cleveland however had simply three within the second half Jarrett Allen scored 14 however was held scoreless after the break.
