The Cleveland Cavaliers opened their season Thursday night in Philadelphia with a first half strong enough to win most games, then lost 114-106 to the 76ers after Philadelphia erased a 29-point deficit in its home opener.
Cleveland led 35-18 after one quarter and 69-45 at halftime, powered by Donovan Mitchell, who finished with 32 points and 10 rebounds. Evan Mobley added 18 points for the Cavaliers, James Harden had 16 and Jarrett Allen scored 14 in the opener.
Philadelphia changed the game after halftime, outscoring Cleveland 69-37 in the second half. Tyrese Maxey scored 32 points for the 76ers and Joel Embiid added 24, while Jaylen Brown scored 21, including 10 in the fourth quarter, and LeBron James, playing his first home game as a 76er, finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
The comeback turned in the fourth quarter. Embiid’s floater with about seven minutes left pulled Philadelphia within 95-94, and his next basket gave the 76ers their first lead of the night. Brown scored the next six points and Maxey added another basket to complete a 15-0 run that put Philadelphia ahead 104-95.
Cleveland got back within 106-102 late, but Mitchell missed two free throws and Maxey and Brown scored on the next two Philadelphia trips to push the lead back to eight. Reporting on the game noted the 29-point lead was the largest Cleveland has lost in the play-by-play era, which began in 1996, and that league teams had won 466 straight regular-season games when leading by at least 29.
For the Cavaliers, the opener leaves a clear split screen: a first half that showed how dangerous the Mitchell-led offense can be on the road, and a second half in which turnovers, a quieter fourth quarter from Mitchell and a defense that could not stop Philadelphia’s run decided the result.
Cleveland is back in action Saturday night, hosting the Brooklyn Nets in its home opener. The Cavaliers and 76ers meet again in Cleveland on Nov. 6, giving Cleveland an early chance to answer the loss on its own floor.
Philadelphia, now 2-0 after also winning its opener on the road against New York, dominated the second half for the second straight game, according to game reporting. For Cleveland, at 0-1, the standings matter less this early than the pattern: the Cavaliers built their lead with pace and balance, then could not find the same looks once Philadelphia raised its pressure after halftime.
Photo: Erik Drost, CC BY 2.0