The Philadelphia 76ers are only two games into their new era, but they have already delivered one of the most extraordinary comebacks in franchise history. Trailing by as many as 29 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadelphia staged an incredible second-half rally to secure a stunning 114-106 victory in its home opener on Thursday night.
Playing his first regular-season game in Philadelphia, LeBron James experienced the largest comeback victory of his 24-year NBA career, helping the Sixers overcome what initially appeared to be an insurmountable deficit against one of the Eastern Conference’s strongest teams.
The evening began disastrously for the hosts. Cleveland dominated the opening quarter, establishing a commanding 35-18 advantage behind Donovan Mitchell’s aggressive scoring and relentless defensive pressure. Philadelphia struggled to establish any offensive rhythm, committing nine turnovers in the first 12 minutes.
Things only got worse in the second quarter. With Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen controlling proceedings, the Cavaliers extended their lead to 29 points before taking a comfortable 69-45 advantage into halftime. The Sixers had committed 15 turnovers through two quarters, allowing Cleveland to repeatedly capitalize on their mistakes.
James, however, knew exactly what needed to change.
“We’ve got to stop turning the ball over. I think we had 14 turnovers or something like that the first half for like 19 points.
We’ve got to stop turning the ball over and we’ve got to be a little bit more aggressive defensively and just turn up a notch a little bit,” James explained.
LeBron: “We’ve got to stop turning the ball over. I think we had 14 turnovers or something like that the first half for like 19 points.
We’ve got to stop turning the ball over and we’ve got to be a little bit more aggressive defensively and just turn up a notch a little bit.“ https://t.co/HdvhvzAzIw
— OpenCourt-Basketball (@OpenCourtFB) October 23, 2026
Philadelphia emerged from the locker room looking like an entirely different team. Suddenly, it was Cleveland struggling to protect the basketball, while the Sixers increased their defensive intensity and repeatedly turned turnovers into transition opportunities.
James and Tyrese Maxey spearheaded the comeback, with the 41-year-old superstar pushing the tempo and Maxey continuosely attacking the Cavaliers’ defense.
Philadelphia needed just over a minute to reduce the deficit to 13 points and eventually pulled within two late in the third quarter. Although Cleveland managed to regain some breathing room and entered the final period leading 90-82, the momentum had clearly shifted.
The fourth quarter belonged entirely to the Sixers. Joel Embiid scored seven consecutive points to give Philadelphia its first lead of the night at 96-95. Jaylen Brown then took over, scoring six unanswered points of his own as the Sixers completed a devastating 15-0 run to establish a 104-95 advantage.
Cleveland made one final push, cutting the deficit to four points, but Mitchell missed two crucial free throws before Maxey and Brown delivered the finishing blows.
Maxey led Philadelphia with 32 points and six assists, while Embiid contributed 24 points. Brown finished with 21 points, including 10 in the decisive fourth quarter, while James recorded 17 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in his home debut.
Mitchell led Cleveland with 32 points and 10 rebounds, while Mobley added 18 points and James Harden contributed 16.
According to the NBA’s play-by-play records, which date back to the 1996-97 season, the 29-point comeback was the largest in Philadelphia franchise history during that period.
For James, it was another remarkable milestone in a career already filled with historic moments. Facing the franchise where he spent 11 seasons and won the 2016 NBA championship, the four-time MVP helped orchestrate a comeback unlike any he had previously experienced.
The victory also gave Philadelphia a perfect 2-0 start to the season following its opening-night win over the defending champion New York Knicks.
