Joel Embiid has spent years collecting memories in Philadelphia. After the 76ers rallied from 29 points behind to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 114-106 on Thursday, he placed their latest home opener among his most meaningful experiences with the franchise, Hunting Don Daily News reports.
“I’ve been here for a long time. That was probably not the best night, but that was probably a top-five night for me since I’ve been in Philadelphia,” Embiid said. “That was great. I have no words. That was amazing.”
Embiid contributed 24 points, while Tyrese Maxey led Philadelphia with 32. Jaylen Brown added 21, and LeBron James finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
For James, the victory represented the largest comeback of his career. For Embiid, his postgame assessment captured how much the night meant beyond the final score.
Philadelphia has opened its season by defeating the reigning NBA champion New York Knicks and Cleveland, which reached the Eastern Conference finals. Thursday’s win required the Sixers to overcome both a substantial deficit and an opening half that drew boos from their own building.
Tyrese Maxey challenged the 76ers at halftime
Philadelphia committed 14 turnovers before halftime, already exceeding its 12 from the entire Knicks game. The Sixers also converted just four of their 15 attempts from beyond the arc.
With Philadelphia trailing by 25 at the break, Maxey challenged his teammates to show how they would respond.
“It’s time to see what we’re made of,” Maxey told them. “Are we going to be some front-runners and dig in, and only be happy when stuff is good? Or when stuff is bad, [are we] going to fight and be resilient? We did that.”
The response came quickly. Cleveland needed a timeout before the third quarter reached its second minute. Philadelphia assembled an 11-0 surge that trimmed the margin to 13.
Maxey later followed an interior basket with a three-pointer in transition, bringing Philadelphia within seven. He and Brown celebrated near the scorer’s table as Cleveland called another timeout.
Maxey also supplied defensive pressure during a fourth-quarter stretch when Philadelphia scored 15 unanswered points to move ahead. During that period, he confronted former Sixers teammate James Harden face-to-face before others intervened.
Philadelphia’s crowd helped define Embiid’s night
The crowd’s reaction changed as Philadelphia worked its way back, and VJ Edgecombe credited the fans for staying engaged through the ugly opening half.
“To be honest, I think that’s the loudest I’ve ever heard Xfinity since I’ve been there,” Edgecombe said. “It was great. Shout out to them for not leaving after halftime when we were down 25 points.”
Edgecombe added that the support helped Philadelphia secure the victory.
Coach Nick Nurse noticed the atmosphere even before tipoff, Philly Voice reports. He said Maxey’s transition three produced a level of noise that matched anything he had experienced in the building.
“But when he hit that three, that’s certainly as loud as I’ve heard it in here,” Nurse said. “And when you come back from 29 down, that’s pretty fun as a fan to ride that wave.”
Embiid’s top-five assessment gave that shared celebration a personal measure. Philadelphia’s second victory had become one of his favorite nights with the franchise.
Joel Embiid gives 76ers’ home opener a special place in his career