76ers rally from 29 down to stun Cavaliers 114-106

Tyrese Maxey scored 32 points and Joel Embiid added 24 as the Philadelphia 76ers erased a 29-point deficit to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 114-106 on Thursday night in their home opener, according to the official box score and NBA.com, which called it a record rally.

LeBron James had 17 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in his first home game for Philadelphia, and The Associated Press said it was the biggest comeback win of his career. Fellow newcomer Jaylen Brown scored 21 and rookie VJ Edgecombe added 11 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

Donovan Mitchell scored 32 points for Cleveland, 22 of them in the first half as the Cavaliers built their 29-point lead. Evan Mobley had 18 points and eight rebounds, and former 76ers guard James Harden scored 16 in Cleveland’s season opener.

The Sixers missed 11 of 15 three-point attempts and turned the ball over 14 times in the first half, and the crowd of 21,423 at Xfinity Mobile Arena booed late in the second quarter. The turn came in the fourth, when Maxey’s defence sparked a 15-0 run. Embiid scored seven straight points to pull Philadelphia within 96-95, the AP reported, and the 76ers took over from there.

Maxey and Harden went nose to nose in the fourth quarter before they were separated. Maxey played 42 minutes and finished plus-19.

Philadelphia is 2-0 after also beating the NBA champion New York Knicks 106-100 in its opener. James, 41, signed a two-year deal with the 76ers in the summer after considering a third stint in Cleveland, where he won one of his four titles. Earlier Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump criticized James for not standing still during the national anthem, The Canadian Press reported.

The Cavaliers open at home Saturday against Brooklyn. The 76ers play Milwaukee on Saturday and Detroit on Sunday.

In other NBA action this week, the Raptors routed the Bulls 135-92 in their opener, and our earlier report covered James joining the 76ers.

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Sources: ESPN box score; NBA.com; The Associated Press; The Canadian Press.