LeBron James’ Philly Home Debut Ends With a Historic Sixers Comeback
LeBron James’ first home game as a Philadelphia 76er started with boos and ended with one of the biggest comebacks in franchise history.
Tyrese Maxey scored 32 points and Joel Embiid added 24 as the Sixers erased a 29-point deficit to stun the Cleveland Cavaliers 114-106 on Thursday, Oct. 22, at Xfinity Mobile Arena. The win moved Philadelphia to 2-0, while Cleveland dropped its season opener.
A Rough Start for the Home Debut
The night was billed as a celebration of the Sixers’ new-look roster, with James and Jaylen Brown both making their home debuts. For a half, though, Cleveland spoiled the party.
Donovan Mitchell scored 22 of his 32 points before halftime, and his turnaround jumper late in the second quarter gave the Cavaliers a 69-40 lead. Philadelphia struggled to protect the ball, and the home crowd let the team hear it, booing as the Sixers headed into the break down 69-45.
How the Sixers Stormed Back
The second half looked like a different game. Philadelphia opened the third quarter with an 11-0 run, turning the boos into cheers, and outscored Cleveland 69-37 after halftime.
The Sixers’ new core powered the rally. James, Brown, Embiid and Maxey combined for 61 second-half points, with Brown scoring 17 of his points after the break.
Embiid finally gave Philadelphia its first lead of the night with a jump shot with 6:54 left in the game, and the Sixers never trailed again. Cleveland cut the lead to four late in the fourth quarter, but Philadelphia held on.
LeBron’s Steady Night
James didn’t need a huge scoring night to make an impact. The 41-year-old finished with 17 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, acting as a facilitator while Maxey, Embiid and Brown handled much of the scoring.
The comeback was also the biggest of James’ career. It came against the franchise that drafted him with the first overall pick in 2003, and where he won his first NBA championship in 2016.
A Night of History
The rally was the largest Sixers comeback of the play-by-play era. It was also historic for the wrong reasons in Cleveland, since the Cavaliers became the first team in the shot clock era to lose a season opener after leading by 20 or more points at halftime. Teams had been 65-0 in that situation.
For Philadelphia, the win builds on a strong start after beating the defending champion New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday. After a historic home debut, the Sixers’ new-look roster has already given fans plenty to cheer about.
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