Sixers Stun Cavaliers With 29-Point Comeback, 114-106
The Philadelphia 76ers erased a 29-point deficit to stun the Cleveland Cavaliers 114-106 at the Xfinity Mobile Arena on October 22, 2026, completing the biggest comeback of LeBron James’ career in his home debut for the franchise.
Tyrese Maxey scored a game-high 32 points and Joel Embiid added 24 as the Sixers outscored Cleveland 69-37 in the second half, taking their first lead of the night with 6:54 left in the fourth quarter and never giving it back.
How the Comeback Happened
Donovan Mitchell scored 22 of his 32 points in the first half as Cleveland seized control against a 76ers team struggling with turnovers — Philadelphia had 15 first-half giveaways, five of them from James, which led to 22 Cavaliers points and drew boos from the home crowd.
But the second half belonged to Philadelphia. Maxey was relentless on both ends and sparked a 15-0 run in the fourth quarter that flipped the game. Embiid’s jump shot with 6:54 remaining gave the Sixers their first lead, one they refused to surrender.
LeBron’s Home Debut
James finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds in what the AP called the biggest comeback win of his storied career. The 41-year-old, who signed a two-year deal with the Sixers after eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, energized the crowd with an uncontested two-handed jam in the first half and a bucket off a Maxey steal later on.
Fellow newcomer Jaylen Brown scored 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds in his first home game for Philadelphia.
The Storyline
The matchup carried extra weight: James had flirted with a third stint in Cleveland in free agency before choosing Philadelphia, and Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson admitted the move left him “just depressed, honestly” for the first couple of days.
Mitchell’s 32 points were not enough for Cleveland in its season opener, while the Sixers moved to 2-0 after opening the season with a win over the NBA champion Knicks.
More NBA Openers
For more from the season’s opening week, read our reports on the Lakers’ opener win and the Thunder’s win over Denver.
Warriors vs Lakers: Doncic Shines in 127-105 Opener Win | Thunder Beat Nuggets 96-84 as SGA’s 20-Point Streak Ends
“You don’t want to rely on that,” James said after the game. “I think it’s great to know deep down we’re not going to have that quit mentality. But you don’t want to put yourself in too many of those situations.”
Sources: Associated Press, ESPN