Cavaliers
76ers erase 29-point deficit, beat Cavaliers 114-106 to stay unbeaten
The Philadelphia 76ers beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 114-106 at Xfinity Mobile Arena after trailing by as many as 29 points. Philadelphia won the second half 69-37 behind 32 points from Tyrese Maxey and 24 from Joel Embiid. The 76ers are 2-0 and first in the East, and the Cavaliers fall to 0-1 and 12th.
By the Hoops Nightly Desk · updated 19 h ago01The story of the nightThe turning pointCleveland controlled the first half.
Cleveland controlled the first half. The Cavaliers scored 35 points in the first quarter and 34 in the second and led 69-45 at the break. Their lead reached 29. Then the game flipped. Philadelphia scored 37 points in the third quarter and held Cleveland to 21, which cut the deficit to 90-82 going into the fourth. The 76ers won the fourth 32-16. Cleveland scored 37 points after halftime. The game had only one lead change, and it came late in the comeback. Philadelphia's biggest lead was 9, which shows how long the 76ers spent chasing.
02Maxey and Embiid lead the chargeTyrese Maxey played 41.6 minutes and finished with 32 points on 12-of-23 shooting, plus 6 assists and 2 steals.
Tyrese Maxey played 41.6 minutes and finished with 32 points on 12-of-23 shooting, plus 6 assists and 2 steals. He was plus-19. Joel Embiid added 24 points on 8-of-16 shooting and made 7 of 9 free throws in 34.4 minutes. He was plus-18. Jaylen Brown scored 21 on 10-of-20 shooting with 8 rebounds. LeBron James had 17 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals but also committed 5 turnovers. Rookie VJ Edgecombe filled the box score with 11 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals, and he was plus-19.
03Mitchell's big night not enoughDonovan Mitchell led all scorers with 32 points and added 10 rebounds.
Donovan Mitchell led all scorers with 32 points and added 10 rebounds. He shot 11 of 19 and made 8 of 11 free throws, but he also had 5 turnovers. Evan Mobley scored 18 on 7-of-13 shooting. James Harden had 16 points and 5 assists, but his 6 turnovers led the team, and he was minus-17. Jarrett Allen added 14 points and 7 rebounds on 6-of-10 shooting. Peyton Watson scored 8 points with 5 turnovers and was minus-19. Mario Hezonja scored 10 off the bench.
04Where it was wonNeither team could shoot from deep.
Neither team could shoot from deep. Cleveland made 7 of 29 threes and Philadelphia made 7 of 28, so the game was decided inside and in ball security. The 76ers outscored the Cavaliers 64-60 in the paint and 24-23 on the fast break. Cleveland committed 21 turnovers to Philadelphia's 16, though each team scored 22 points off turnovers. Philadelphia made 23 of 30 free throws, Cleveland 21 of 28. The 76ers had 24 assists to 18 and won the boards 57-55. Cleveland's bench outscored Philadelphia's 18-9 and the Cavaliers blocked 7 shots to 2, but neither edge held up after halftime.
05What it meansPhiladelphia is 2-0 and sits first in the East.
Philadelphia is 2-0 and sits first in the East. The 76ers showed they can win on a night their bench struggled. Anfernee Simons went 0 for 4 and was minus-24, and Adem Bona was minus-10. Most of the comeback came from the starters, and all five finished plus-7 or better. Cleveland is 0-1 and 12th in the East after losing a 24-point halftime lead. The Cavaliers' 21 turnovers, including 11 from Harden and Watson, and their 37-point second half are the numbers they will need to fix.
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