Comebacks against the Cleveland Cavaliers are certainly possible for the Philadelphia 76ers, but one wasn’t in store on Friday night (November 6).
Weeks after securing a victory over the Cavaliers after trailing by as many as 29 points, the 76ers found themselves trailing the Cavaliers by 25 points in their second meeting, which was NBA Cup action.
LeBron James and the 76ers paid a visit to Ohio and chipped away at the Cavs’ lead all night. However, the lead changed just once. The Cavaliers teased a collapse, but the 76ers’ offensive showing wouldn’t allow Cleveland to lose control.
LeBron James Gets Real On 76ers’ Struggles vs Cavaliers
“I don’t think offensively as a group (we were sharp) and I know I damn sure wasn’t good at all,” James admitted to reporters after the game.
On a personal level, James checked in for 31 minutes of action.
The superstar forward shot 3-for-12 from the field, missing all of his three-point attempts. With just one trip to the free-throw line, he contributed two points from the charity stripe. LeBron’s return to Cleveland was an eight-point outing. He also had just three assists, while turning the ball over six times.
All season long, LeBron has been a triple-double threat for the 76ers. Friday night was by far his worst performance since suiting up for the team.
It wasn’t just a LeBron problem for the Sixers, though. Overall, the 76ers shot 36.5% from the field and made just 10 of their 40 attempts from beyond the arc.
The Cavaliers didn’t light it up from three, but they were significantly more efficient than the 76ers from the field. That poor offensive showing for Philly contributed to a 119-95 loss.
With that, the Sixers dropped to 8-2 on the season—and 1-1 in NBA Cup play. The Cavaliers and the Miami Heat lead the East Group B with a 1-0 record. The Cavs’ 24-point difference gives them the No. 1 spot, while the Sixers sit in the middle of the pack, above the New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers.
