76ers Erase 29-Point Deficit in LeBron James’ Philadelphia Home Debut

The Philadelphia 76ers turned LeBron James’ first regular-season home game with the franchise into a comeback Philadelphia won’t soon forget. The Sixers erased a 29-point deficit Thursday night to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 114-106, producing the largest comeback victory of James’ 24-season NBA career and Philadelphia’s biggest comeback of the play-by-play era.

Tyrese Maxey led Philadelphia with 32 points and six assists, while Joel Embiid added 24 points and seven rebounds. Jaylen Brown scored 17 of his 21 points after halftime, and James finished with 17 points, nine rebounds, five assists and three steals against one of his former teams. Philadelphia trailed 69-45 at halftime but outscored Cleveland 69-37 after the break. The Sixers finally took their first lead with under seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter before a 15-0 surge pushed them ahead 104-95.

The numbers make the comeback even more striking. Cleveland had been 155-0 in the play-by-play era when leading by at least 29 points, while Philadelphia had been 0-156 when trailing by that margin. The Sixers are now 2-0 after also spoiling New York’s championship celebration on opening night. For a veteran-heavy roster built to chase a title immediately, rallying from 29 down in James’ first Philadelphia home appearance gives this new group an early identity: it can survive a disastrous half and still close against a contender.