Tyrese Maxey sparked one of the most dramatic comebacks in Philadelphia 76ers history, leading the team to a 114-106 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night. Down by 29 points at halftime, trailing 69-45, the Sixers cut the deficit to 10 in the third quarter when Maxey caught a pass from LeBron James in transition and drained a 3-pointer without taking a dribble. The crowd at Xfinity Arena, which had loudly booed at the half, roared back as Philadelphia followed his lead all night.
The 29-point comeback was the Cavaliers' largest blown lead and the Sixers' largest comeback in the play-by-play era. It was also the largest comeback of James' 24-year career. Maxey led all scorers with 32 points and added six assists. He said he challenged his teammates during the intermission, asking whether they would be front-runners or fight through adversity. Jaylen Brown said the third quarter shifted the game, as Philadelphia opened the half on an 8-0 run and outscored Cleveland 37-21 in the period.
Defensively, coach Nick Nurse adjusted the team's assignments against Cleveland's mid-pick-and-roll plays. Cleveland averaged 1.08 points on direct picks in the first half but only 0.56 in the second, scoring just 37 points after the break. The Sixers turned the ball over just twice in the second half, compared with 15 for the Cavaliers.
Joel Embiid's 16-foot jumper over Jarrett Allen at the 6:54 mark of the fourth quarter gave Philadelphia a lead it never relinquished. Embiid said the resilience was different from past Sixers teams he has played on during his 11-year career.
Source: ESPN NBA · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing