The Philadelphia 76ers made history on Thursday night in LeBron James’ home debut at Wells Fargo Center.
Fueled by an electric 32-point performance by Tyrese Maxey, the Sixers erased a 29-point deficit to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 114-106 in their home opener.
The 29-point comeback is the Sixers’ biggest comeback victory in the play-by-play era. The improbable win also marks the largest comeback of LeBron James’ career.
On the flip side, it is the Cavaliers’ largest collapse in franchise history. Before Thursday’s contest, Cleveland was 155-0 in such situations.
Across the league, NBA teams had won 466 consecutive regular-season games when leading by 29+ points.
The comeback effort was fueled by a balanced Sixers offensive attack, with all five starters scoring double-digit points.
James scored 17 points and had 10 rebounds and Joel Embiid poured in 24 points while adding seven rebounds.
Jaylen Brown shined in his Sixers home debut, scoring 21 points, including 10 points in the fourth quarter.
Second-year starter VJ Edgecombe flirted with a triple-double, finishing with 11 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
In the fourth quarter, the never-say-die Sixers went on a 15-0 run to take their first lead of the game.
Sixers Offense Looks Balanced in Home Debut
Although the game didn’t begin how the team envisioned, the Sixers’ offense was a major bright spot.
Shot distribution among the star-studded Sixers was a major talking point this offseason.
With perennial All-Stars LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey all in the starting lineup, many wondered if there would be enough shots to go around.
Furthermore, many questioned whether Maxey, Embiid or Brown would be the team’s top scoring option.
Philly helped put the former question to rest with its massive comeback victory on Thursday night, in which every starter scored at a respectable clip.
The fourth quarter was especially noteworthy, as Maxey and Brown proved they can coexist in the clutch.
The talented duo combined for 18 points in the fourth quarter.
For the second straight game, Maxey paced the Sixers in points and used his elite speed to blitz past defenders.
“I feel like he doesn’t get tired,” James said of Maxey on Tuesday. “He’s one of the fastest guys in the league, if not the fastest with and without the ball. So, that’s just going to be key for our team to be able to continuously put pressure on the defense, and obviously he consistently can do that.”
Fellow newcomer Jaylen Brown also marveled at Maxey’s speed.
“The speed,” Brown said when asked what stood out about Maxey’s season-opening performance. “His ability to just take off and create. [And put] the defense in a tough spot. The pressure he puts on [defenders], I want him to continue to do that for the whole game if he can.”
Brown added that he envisions Maxey being the team’s floor general this season.
“If we can find spaces for him to get out and run. He’s going to create offense for a lot more for everybody when he does that. So continue to use his skill to get downhill. That’s going to be great for us.”
Sixers Mount Historic Comeback, LeBron James Wins Home Debut