When the Philadelphia 76ers stepped foot in the locker room at Xfinity Mobile Arena during halftime against the Cleveland Cavaliers, they were trailing by a wide margin. The score was 69-45.
In past seasons, the 76ers might cut the lead in the second half, but accept that it’s early in the season, and they might just have to flush one out early.
This year, the 76ers aren’t that team. With a team full of stars, the 76ers found a way to motivate each other and make it work. It all started with a halftime challenge.
76ers Star Tyrese Maxey Reveals Message Before Historical Comeback Win vs Cavs
Following the game, Maxey revealed his message to the 76ers during halftime:
“I said, ‘Well, it’s time to see what we made of. Are we going to be some front-runners and only be happy when stuff is good? Or when stuff is bad, are we going to fight and be resilient?’ And we did that,” Maxey told reporters via ESPN.
Even the star center Joel Embiid admitted pointed out that a past Sixers team would’ve “laid down and tried to move on.” Not this one.
76ers Generate A Comeback
After trailing by as many as 29 points in the first half, the 76ers fired up a strong third quarter. It started with a 37-21 rally, led by LeBron James, who scored 10 points.
By the time the game was reaching the fourth quarter, the Sixers were within single digits, trailing 90-82.
Another big quarter in the fourth was all the 76ers needed to form the best comeback in franchise history. The Sixers outscored the Cavaliers 32-16 in the final quarter. They ended up winning 114-106.
Tyrese Maxey checked in for 41 minutes. He shot 12-for-23 from the field, scoring 32 points, which led the 76ers.
Beyond Maxey’s scoring, the young star dished out six assists, came down with three rebounds, and snatched two steals.
With that win, the Sixers move to 2-0 to begin the season.
