76ers Erase 29-Point Deficit to Beat Cavaliers 114-106 in Home Opener

The Philadelphia 76ers trailed by 29 points in their home opener on Thursday night and still won. Philadelphia beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 114-106 at Xfinity Mobile Arena, outscoring Cleveland 69-37 in the second half to move to 2-0 on the season.

Tyrese Maxey led Philadelphia with 32 points and six assists. Joel Embiid scored 24 points with seven rebounds. Jaylen Brown added 21 points and eight rebounds, and LeBron James had 17 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in his first home game for the 76ers. VJ Edgecombe scored 11 points with seven rebounds and five assists.

A first half that went wrong

Cleveland controlled the game early in its first game of the season. The Cavaliers led 35-18 after the first quarter and 69-45 at halftime, and their lead reached 29 points in the second quarter. Donovan Mitchell scored 22 of his 32 points in the first half, and Philadelphia gave the ball away 14 times before halftime, with James committing five of those turnovers.

The night also brought a loud return for James Harden, now with Cleveland. Fans booed the former 76ers guard at tipoff and again when he reached the free throw line in the first quarter. Harden finished with 16 points, three rebounds and five assists.

The comeback

The turn started with a 16-0 run that began late in the second quarter and ended early in the third. Philadelphia won the third quarter 37-21, cutting the deficit to 90-82, and then won the fourth quarter 32-16.

Embiid put Philadelphia ahead 96-95 in the fourth quarter, the first lead of the night for the home team. Brown then scored three straight baskets against Sam Merrill to stretch the lead to 102-95, and Cleveland never recovered. The 76ers finished the second half with 69 points and held the Cavaliers to 37.

The numbers

Mitchell led Cleveland with 32 points and 10 rebounds. Evan Mobley scored 18 points with eight rebounds, and Jarrett Allen had 14 points and seven rebounds. Cleveland shot its way into a big lead, then scored only 16 points in the fourth quarter as Philadelphia pressed harder on defense and pushed the ball in transition.

For Philadelphia, the win followed a 106-100 victory over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, Oct. 20, in the season opener. That night the 76ers spoiled the Knicks ring ceremony. This time they gave their own crowd a different kind of show, going from boos at halftime to a standing finish.

What comes next

Philadelphia hosts the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday, Oct. 24, and the Detroit Pistons on Sunday, Oct. 25. Cleveland, now 0-1, hosts the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday, Oct. 24, in its home opener.