- Oct 16, 2026
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SportsMafia Wire graphic. Team logos and player headshots via ESPN.
The Philadelphia 76ers overcame a 29-point deficit to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 114-106 on Thursday, marking the largest comeback in franchise history during the play-by-play era.
Cleveland led 69-45 at halftime, tying the largest season-opening halftime lead in franchise history. The Cavaliers also suffered their largest blown lead ever. Philadelphia outscored Cleveland 37-21 in the third quarter and committed only two turnovers after halftime following 15 in the first half. The Cavaliers managed just 37 points in the second half.
Tyrese Maxey scored a game-high 32 points with six assists for the Sixers. "They were just punking us honestly, and we did a good job of playing back second," Maxey said. Joel Embiid called it a "top-three" night in his career and hit a 16-foot jumper over Jarrett Allen at the 6:54 mark for Philadelphia's first lead.
Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points through three quarters for Cleveland but was held to two points in the fourth. The setback marked the largest comeback of James' 24-year career. Cleveland's direct picks dropped from 27 in the first half to 20 after halftime, with average points per pick falling from 1.08 to 0.56.
Source: ESPN - Fri Oct 23, 2:22 AM ET
Written by the SportsMafia Wire desk in our own words from the original reporting (AI-assisted, checked against the source).