James, Embiid, Maxey spark 76ers' rally from 29 points down in home opener to stun Cavs 114-106
James had 17 points and 10 rebounds in the biggest comeback win of his career, and fellow newcomer Jaylen Brown had 21 points in game that already may be tough for the Sixers to top this season, which they've started with wins over the NBA champion Knicks and the Eastern Conference finalist Cavaliers.
The Sixers refused to go down without a fight and nearly got into one when Maxey and his former Philadelphia teammate James Harden went nose-to-nose in the fourth before they were separated. Maxey was relentless on defense and was the catalyst for a 15-0 run in the fourth that gave the Sixers the lead and left the Cavaliers fumbling for answers.
Donovan Mitchell scored 32 points for the Cavs in their season opener.
James flirted in free agency with a third stint in Cleveland before he signed a two-year deal with the Sixers for the veteran minimum.
He won one of his four NBA titles with the Cavaliers and is trying to add a fifth ring in Philadelphia. The hype for the home opener was real, with tickets listed on secondary markets for around $4,000 in the lower bowl. The win against the Knicks only cranked up the enthusiasm for the first look in Philly at James and Brown — and they responded with an opener to remember.
The 41-year-old James — accused Thursday by President Donald Trump of disrespecting the United States by not standing still during the national anthem — had his moments. He brought the crowd to life with an uncontested two-handed jam in the first half and later a bucket off a steal by Maxey.
The Sixers missed 11 of 15 3-pointers and had 14 turnovers (only 12 total against the Knicks) in the first half and the packed house erupted in boos late in the second period.
Mitchell scored 22 points in the half as the Cavaliers stretched their lead to 29 points. That advantage was gone when Embiid scored seven straight points in the fourth to make it 96-95.
No matter the outcome, fans of both teams who watched on TV had something to complain about. A new lighting system at the 76ers’ arena appeared to bathe the court in a blue hue and added heavy colorized streaks and reflections from cameras on the ESPN broadcast.
Up next
Cavaliers: Have their home opener Saturday against Brooklyn.
76ers: Play back-to-back games at home this weekend — Saturday against Milwaukee and Sunday against Detroit.
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Regular Season Series
PHI leads series 1-0