76ers Erase 29-Point Deficit to Stun Cavaliers 114-106 in Home Opener
The Philadelphia 76ers produced the 76ers 29-point comeback Cavaliers fans will talk about for years, overturning a 29-point deficit to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 114-106 in their home opener on Thursday, 22 October 2026, at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.
Philadelphia trailed 69-45 at half-time and looked beaten, yet outscored Cleveland 69-37 after the break to move to 2-0 for the season, while the Cavaliers slipped to 0-1 in their first game of the campaign.
FAKTA
- Match: Philadelphia 76ers vs Cleveland Cavaliers, NBA regular season, home opener, Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, 22 October 2026
- Final score: Philadelphia 76ers 114, Cleveland Cavaliers 106
- Quarter scores: 18-35, 27-34, 37-21, 32-16
- Half-time score: Cleveland 69, Philadelphia 45
- Second-half score: Philadelphia 69, Cleveland 37
- Top scorers: Tyrese Maxey 32 points for Philadelphia; Donovan Mitchell 32 points for Cleveland
- Philadelphia support: Joel Embiid 24 points and 7 rebounds; Jaylen Brown 21 points and 8 rebounds; LeBron James 17 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists
- Cleveland support: Evan Mobley 18 points; James Harden 16 points; Jarrett Allen 14 points
- Records: Philadelphia 2-0; Cleveland 0-1
- Historic note: Reported as the largest comeback in 76ers history and the 10th-largest in the NBA play-by-play era
76ers 29-Point Comeback Cavaliers Stunned in Second Half
Cleveland controlled the opening from the start. The visitors won the first quarter 35-18, punishing 14 Philadelphia turnovers across the first half, and stretched the advantage to 29 points before the break.
The home crowd had booed the team off at half-time, but the mood changed within 90 seconds of the restart. Philadelphia scored 11 quick points to cut the gap to 13, and the arena found its voice again.
Tyrese Maxey led the charge with 32 points and six assists, scoring in transition and from the perimeter as the deficit fell to 10 midway through the third quarter. Cleveland briefly steadied and took a 90-82 lead into the final period, but the momentum had already shifted.
Embiid and Brown Finish the Job
Joel Embiid, who finished with 24 points and seven rebounds, brought Philadelphia level and then put the hosts ahead for the first time at 96-95 midway through the fourth quarter. Jaylen Brown scored 10 of his 21 points in the final period, and a 15-0 run pushed the 76ers to a 104-95 lead.
Cleveland closed to within four points late on, but Donovan Mitchell, who matched Maxey with 32 points and added 10 rebounds, missed two free throws at a crucial moment. Maxey and Brown scored on the next two possessions to restore an eight-point cushion, and Philadelphia closed the game out from the free-throw line.
LeBron James, playing his first home game as a 76er, contributed 17 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and three steals. His early third-quarter pass to Embiid for a lay-up started the run that cut the deficit to 13 and set the tone for the comeback.
Why This Comeback Matters
The scale of the turnaround is what sets this win apart. Cleveland had reportedly won every previous game in which it led by 29 points, and Philadelphia had lost every game in which it trailed by that margin. Teams leading by 29 points had reportedly won 466 consecutive regular-season games before Thursday night.
For Philadelphia, it is a second straight second-half surge to start the season, following the opening-night win at New York. For Cleveland, a superb first half and Mitchell’s all-round display counted for nothing once the turnovers mounted and the second-half scoring dried up, with only 37 points after the break.
Philadelphia next host the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday, 24 October, while Cleveland host the Brooklyn Nets the same night. The two sides meet again in Cleveland on 6 November, when the Cavaliers will look to answer a defeat that few in the arena will soon forget.
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