The Philadelphia 76ers overcame a 29-point deficit to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 114-106 on Thursday. It was the first home game for LeBron James since he joined the club as a free agent.
The win came only hours after US President Donald Trump criticised James, accusing the NBA star of disrespecting the national anthem in a game earlier this season. James has not made any statement or offered a response of his own.
Trump’s criticism draws attention ahead of home debut
Before Tuesday’s game at the New York Knicks, James appeared to practise basketball and golf shots while the anthem was played. Requests for a response from the 76ers to Trump’s criticism of their star were made, but the team’s reply was not included in the report.
James’s home debut was also watched closely by Philadelphia fans, whose hopes of a title run have been lifted by the arrivals of James and Jaylen Brown. Those hopes were tested early, as the crowd booed their own side during a difficult first half.
Sixers rally from 29 points down against Cavaliers
Cleveland, which had been disappointed not to land James after he left the Los Angeles Lakers following eight seasons, appeared determined to make its point. Donovan Mitchell scored 22 of his 32 points in the first half as the Cavs took control against a 76ers side that struggled to find a rhythm and to protect the ball.
Philadelphia committed 15 first-half turnovers, five of them by James, and those mistakes led to 22 points for Cleveland. Joel Embiid also looked troubled in the opening half, and the boos turned to loud cheers when the Sixers opened the third quarter on an 11-0 run.
Tyrese Maxey then produced consecutive baskets to bring the score within single digits. He later cut the deficit to two points with a running finger roll layup, before the Cavaliers pulled away to lead 90-82 going into the fourth quarter.
The Sixers, who had beaten the reigning champion Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, kept pushing. They outscored Cleveland 60-37 in the second half, tightened their defence and gave up only two turnovers after the break.
James and Edgecombe reflect on biggest comeback
Maxey finished with 32 points and Embiid added 24, including a jump shot with 6:54 left that gave the Sixers their first lead of the night. Brown scored 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds, while James contributed 17 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
The comeback was the biggest of the play-by-play era, which began in 1996, and the largest of James’s career. The league’s all-time leading scorer described it as a good win but said it was not a position he wants to be in often.
“You don’t want to rely on that,” he said. “I think it’s great to know (that) deep down we’re not going to have that quit mentality.”
Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe said the team had stayed together. “When it got worse we could have given up, we didn’t,” he said, calling it an early-season test that the team had overcome.
Thunder hold off Nuggets as Gilgeous-Alexander’s streak ends
In Oklahoma City, the Thunder pulled away late for a 96-84 victory over the Denver Nuggets. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the two-time reigning Most Valuable Player, struggled with his shooting and saw his run of games with at least 20 points end at 141.
Gilgeous-Alexander missed all seven of his first-half shots and was two-of-13 from the floor through three quarters. He scored 10 points in the final period to finish with 17, his first regular-season game under 20 since October 30, 2024.
Jalen Williams led the Thunder with a game-high 21 points, and Oklahoma City held a 70-64 lead going into the fourth quarter. Denver’s three-time MVP Nikola Jokic had a quiet night, making five of 19 attempts for 13 points, with seven rebounds and five assists. Aaron Gordon led the Nuggets with 20 points.
