The Philadelphia 76ers had every reason to believe their home opener was slipping away. Down by 29 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers, they were being booed by their own fans, struggling to contain Donovan Mitchell, and looking nothing like a team capable of mounting a comeback. Then Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid helped turn the night on its head, leading Philadelphia to a stunning 114-106 win that handed Cleveland the biggest blown lead in franchise history.

But the comeback was only part of the night’s story. LeBron James found himself responding to Donald Trump’s latest criticism, while a heated exchange between Maxey and former teammate James Harden added another flashpoint to an already chaotic game. For the Sixers, it was a remarkable turnaround. For everyone watching, there was plenty more to unpack.

A Disastrous Start and the Wrath of the Philly Faithful

Cleveland were off to the races from the opening tip, looking like a team determined to run Philadelphia off the floor in their own building. Mitchell was all over the place in the paint, knocking down some very difficult jumpers and was the catalyst for the Cavs with 32 points and 10 rebounds. Mobley was a force inside and Harden was in command out of the backcourt. The Cavs took full advantage of the early Sixers defensive lapses and miscommunications and were up 29 at the break. They were in complete control of the game from that point on.

Hence, the home crowd was absolutely brutal in the arena. As the number of missed rotations mounted and the Cavs just kept on expanding their lead, there were massive amounts of boos coming from the rafters before the half. The Sixers were all out of sync and completely overpowered, looking like they were going to have an absolutely humiliating home opener blowout. But the boos were only part of the story. Philadelphia had a 29-point hole to climb out of, and the turnaround would soon expose just how quickly Cleveland could lose control.

The halftime numbers made the task look even more daunting. Cleveland led 69-45, with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen giving the Cavaliers a commanding presence inside. Philadelphia had struggled to contain Cleveland’s size and had committed 14 turnovers in the first half. The Sixers needed more than a few made shots; they had to change the way they were defending and take care of the ball.

Tyrese Maxey Saved the Sixers

Tyrese Maxey became the engine of Philadelphia’s response. He finished with 32 points on 12-of-23 shooting, six assists, three rebounds and two steals, but his impact extended beyond the scoring column. His defensive pressure helped disrupt James Harden’s rhythm and gave the Sixers opportunities to attack before Cleveland could get its defense set.

Philadelphia’s comeback gathered momentum after the break, when the team began finding better balance between attacking the basket and creating shots for its other scorers. Maxey’s pace helped stretch Cleveland’s defense, while Joel Embiid gradually found his scoring touch after a difficult first half. Embiid finished with 24 points and seven rebounds, and Jaylen Brown added 21 points and eight rebounds.

The turning point came in the fourth quarter. Philadelphia unleashed a 15-0 run, turning a seemingly comfortable Cleveland lead into a game that was suddenly slipping away. The sequence was not simply a Maxey scoring exhibition: Philadelphia’s stars began contributing in succession, and Cleveland could no longer rely on the cushion it had built in the first half.

LeBron James and a Historic Milestone in Year 24

James finished with 17 points, 10 rebounds and five assists as Philadelphia completed the largest comeback victory of his NBA career. At 41, in his record-extending 24th season, he was part of a new-look Sixers team that had already beaten the defending champion New York Knicks in its season opener. The comeback against Cleveland gave Philadelphia a 2-0 start and made James’s first home appearance with his new team a memorable one.

There was another layer to James’s home debut: Cleveland was the franchise that drafted him and the team with which he won his first NBA championship in 2016. He had been linked with a possible third stint in Cleveland during the offseason before signing with Philadelphia on a two-year, veteran-minimum contract. Instead of returning to his former team, he helped Philadelphia hand the Cavaliers a collapse they would struggle to forget.

Cleveland’s lead disappeared as Philadelphia’s offense found its rhythm. Embiid scored seven consecutive points to put the Sixers ahead 96-95, their first lead of the night. Brown then delivered three straight scoring possessions, helping Philadelphia build separation during the decisive stretch.

The Cavaliers still had chances to make things interesting. Donovan Mitchell, who led Cleveland with 32 points and 10 rebounds, missed two free throws with 1:19 remaining that could have brought his team within two. Harden finished with 16 points and five assists, but also committed six turnovers. Cleveland’s inability to protect possession and close out the game proved costly as the Sixers held on for the 114-106 win.

National Anthem Scrutiny Surrounding LeBron James

The comeback was not the only story following James into Philadelphia. Hours before Thursday’s game, President Donald Trump criticized the 76ers star over footage from Philadelphia’s season opener against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday. The video showed James making movements resembling a golf swing and a basketball shot while the U.S. national anthem played. Trump shared the footage on social media and called James a “TOTAL DISGRACE,” demanding that he apologize to American military personnel who died serving the country.

Asked about Trump’s comments after the Cleveland game, James offered a brief response: “It must be a slow news day at the office. Slow news day at the office.”

The exchange added a political subplot to James’s first home game as a Sixer. It also came against the backdrop of his long-running public disagreements with Trump, including James’s past criticism of the president and his advocacy on social issues. Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse had already stressed the importance of tuning out distractions, describing the latest controversy as “outside noise” and saying the team’s focus had been outstanding.

Tension Boils Over Maxey and Harden 

The comeback also produced a flashpoint between two players whose relationship stretches beyond the court. During the fourth quarter, as Philadelphia began erasing Cleveland’s lead, Maxey and Harden got into a heated exchange. Harden grabbed Maxey’s jersey, and Maxey turned and shoved him. Teammates and coaches stepped in to separate them as the tension spilled into a brief confrontation.

The scene was striking because Harden had been Maxey’s teammate in Philadelphia before moving on. Their history made the confrontation more personal than an ordinary in-game argument, but the aftermath offered little evidence of a lasting rift. The two were seen smiling after they were separated, even as sections of the crowd directed an angry chant at Harden.

Maxey later made their feelings toward each other clear. “I love him, and he loves me,” he said after the game. The comment put the confrontation in perspective: the intensity was real, but it did not mean their relationship had broken down.

For Philadelphia, the night offered a glimpse of how its new combination of stars could respond when a game appeared beyond reach. Maxey’s relentless pressure helped ignite the rally, Embiid delivered the points that put the Sixers in front, and Brown provided the scoring burst that helped them pull away. For Cleveland, the collapse exposed how quickly a dominant start could unravel when the offense lost its rhythm and the defense could no longer stop the run.