The Philadelphia 76ers pulled off one of the most unbelievable comebacks you’ll see all season, erasing a monstrous 29-point deficit to snatch a 114-106 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in their home opener Thursday night. Talk about a statement game right out of the gate for this squad.
First Quarter Fumbles and Familiar Foes
Before that epic comeback, things were looking rough, and let’s not forget the backstory. This game marked the first time Joel Embiid faced James Harden since they were teammates over three years ago. The crowd at Madison Square Garden definitely remembered, showering Harden with boos during intros and every time he touched the ball. Early on, LeBron James got the crowd hyped, sinking a three on his first shot and then dropping a slick bounce pass to a cutting Edgecombe. But despite those flashes, the Sixers’ offense was straight up choppy, tallying five turnovers in as many minutes. We saw them fumble a fast break and even get hit with a five-second violation trying to inbound the ball.
Anfernee Simons and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope were the first guys off the bench for Maxey and Brown, but Simons’ first jumper got swatted by Peyton Watson. After a quick stagger, Maxey and Brown were back in, but the Sixers’ offense went cold, literally scoreless for almost three minutes. That opened the door for the Cavs to grab a double-digit lead. Brown tried to spark something with a contested layup, but it didn’t fall, though Adem Bona was there to clean it up with a timely rebound and putback. Cleveland’s defense was stout, doing what they’ve done for a couple seasons now: shutting down the paint.
The Second Half Surge and Star Power
What a turnaround, though! Tyrese Maxey was absolutely electric, putting together what the team called his “most complete game” with a phenomenal 32 points and six assists. Joel Embiid, after a quiet start, definitely “came alive” to drop 24 points and grab seven boards. LeBron James had a game very similar to his Sixers debut, finishing with 17 points on 13 shots, adding 10 rebounds and five assists. And Jaylen Brown? He didn’t find his rhythm until the fourth quarter, but when he did, he hit some crucial late baskets to finish with 21 points and eight rebounds. For the Cavaliers, Donovan Mitchell led their charge with 32 points. Meanwhile, Dean Wade was still sidelined with an ankle injury and has yet to make his Sixers debut, even though he was questionable coming into the night.
What an absolute roller coaster, right? After that kind of gut-check comeback, the Sixers showed they’ve got some serious fight. This wasn’t only a win, it was a statement. Maxey’s leadership, Embiid’s quiet dominance, and LeBron doing his thing, even on an “off” night, tell you this squad can turn it on when it matters. If they can clean up those early game jitters, the league better watch out. This team might just have some juice, for real.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Liberty Ballers.
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