CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers gave LeBron James a warm welcome and then a rough night, routing the Philadelphia 76ers 119-95 on Friday night at Rocket Arena in an NBA Cup group stage game. Donovan Mitchell scored 23 points for Cleveland, while James — playing in Cleveland for the first time as a member of the 76ers — was held to eight points, according to the Associated Press game report.
Fans across Northeast Ohio welcomed the Akron native back with loud cheers and only a few boos when he was introduced last before tip-off, the Akron Beacon Journal reported. The reception was where the kindness ended. James finished 3 of 12 from the field, missed all four of his 3-point tries and committed six turnovers in the loss, the Associated Press reported. Reuters noted the eight points also ended James’ streak of 396 consecutive double-figure scoring games in Cleveland, a run dating to Dec. 29, 2004.
Cleveland set the tone immediately, outscoring Philadelphia 33-22 in the first quarter. According to Reuters, the 76ers’ only lead of the night came on VJ Edgecombe’s basket to open the game, and Cleveland led by as many as 25 points in the fourth quarter. Philadelphia trimmed the margin to two early in the third quarter, but the Cavaliers answered with a closing run that pushed the lead to 91-74 by the end of the period, Reuters reported.
Evan Mobley added 22 points for Cleveland, and Mario Hezonja contributed 15 points and 10 rebounds off the bench, according to Reuters. The win snapped a two-game skid for the Cavaliers and improved them to 4-1 at home this season, Reuters reported. Donovan Mitchell also finished with seven rebounds and eight assists in the victory.
Philadelphia arrived in Cleveland with the best start in the Eastern Conference, entering the night 8-1, the Beacon Journal reported. Jaylen Brown led the 76ers with 20 points, Edgecombe added 19 and Tyrese Maxey scored 17, while Joel Embiid was held to six points, according to game reports. The loss snapped Philadelphia’s five-game winning streak, USA Today reported, and dropped the 76ers to 8-2 on the season.
The game carried an extra layer of history. James elected to sign with Philadelphia in the offseason instead of returning for a third stint with Cleveland, the Associated Press reported. Across the court, Dean Wade faced the Cavaliers for the first time since leaving the club; the Beacon Journal reported Wade, once Cleveland’s longest-tenured player, signed a four-year deal with the 76ers on June 30.
Cleveland improves to 5-4 overall and 1-0 in East Group B of the NBA Cup, while Philadelphia falls to 1-1 in the group, according to Reuters. Group play continues this month, and the Cavaliers will try to carry Friday’s defensive showing — the league-leading 76ers were held to 95 points and trailed for nearly the entire 48 minutes — into the rest of the tournament schedule.
Photo: Erik Drost, CC BY