Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Philadelphia 76ers Live NBA Updates, Scores and Highlights

The four-time MVP isn't wrong. James Harden has three inches and a bunch of pounds on Maxey, but Tyrese worked his behind off when matched up against him.

This isn't a perfect encapsulation of what took place, but Harden shot 3-of-9 from the floor when Maxey was in the game, according to Prime Stats.

Once this whole basketball-career thing is over, Jaylen Brown might be able to make a living writing captions for motivational posters.

As someone who counted themselves as a Sixers optimist, even I'm a little surprised at how well they're jelling.

Stuff needs to be worked out on the court. Jaylen Brown feels like he gets lost in the shuffle at times. The Sixers need to figure out how to get Joel Embiid touches without deviating from the overall flow and approach of the offense.

Beyond that, though, Tyrese Maxey is thriving in yet another ecosystem. VJ Edgecombe is leaning on what he does best without the ball. And LeBron James is sufficiently filling in gaps and reading the room, toggling between playmaking and attacking.

This team's stock is trending up.

"[He's] a wrinkle we can throw in there at any given moment. He can guard bigs. He can guard guards."

Great. Grand. Wonderful. But can he also be better than the seventh-best player on the Boston Celtics?

On the one hand, what else is LeBron, an active member of the Sixers, supposed to say?

On the other hand: Awwww.

Tyrese Maxey is having one heck of a start to 2026-27. Here's every guard to open the season with at least 28 points, five assists and two steals in each of their first two games:

Truthfully, I'd have guessed one of LeBron's other 23 teams did something like this once before. This being the biggest comeback of his career is pretty surreal.

Blowing a 466-game winning streak for teams with 29-point regular-season leads is...actually on-brand for this Cavs core.

All these years later, LeBron is still making heavy work look like light work.

The "Year 24!" and "He's 41!" captions get old. But relative to his age and reputation, you have to at least give it up for the defensive effort he's shown through two games on the Sixers.

Whatever the it factor is, Tyrese Maxey's got it. How he's only 25, going on 26, is beyond me.

Aside: Anyone got video or audio of this halftime speech in the locker room?

Saying this about a regular-season opener after your team erased a 3-1 first-round playoff series deficit a few months ago is actually crazy.

It's also a testament to Sixers fans.

My two cents: It's too soon to make that call. The roster has actually undergone some wholesale changes since this past February.

If the Cavs wanted a new voice, they should have investigated that call over the offseason. Firing a coach one loss into an 82-game season would very Kangz.

This is why they pay him the big bucks, folks.

The Cavaliers probably saw the unveiling of their revamped-with-Peyton Watson starting five going differently in their head.

This about sums it up. The turnovers were especially damning.

Cleveland coughed up possession more than 28 percent of the time during the second half. That directly led to Philly tallying 24 transition points over the final 24 minutes (and five pick-sixes).

James Harden (four), Peyton Watson (four) and Donovan Mitchell (three) were the biggest turnover culprits during this stretch. It's just one game, but given how this team closed the postseason, this is the kind of loss that might stick with them for a while.

Well, that was certainly a basketball game.

The Cavs are now the first team in the shot-clock era to lose a season-opener after leading by 20-plus points at halftime. Congratulations to them.

Meanwhile, the Sixers' stars showed out. Here's a look at their final lines:

The game ball goes to Maxey. He was the lone bright spot as the Sixers fell into what felt like a 29-point grave. They went on to outscore the Cavs in the second-half by 37 points on the back of his speed, shot-making and even defensive intensity.

FINAL SCORE: Sixers 114, Cavs 106

My officially official analysis of what we're watching right now:

Find a team that loves blowing 20-plus point leads in the second half as much as the Cleveland Cavaliers of past six months. I dare you.

Score: Sixers 106, Cavs 100 | 2:11 remaining in the fourth quarter

Jaylen Brown has two buckets in the fourth. They've both been absolutely monstrous.

Things are getting chippy on the floor. The crowd is unreal. This feels like a playoff game. Which come to think of it, explains James Harden's offensive performance.

Friendship is overrated, apparently.

Or it's just hard to maintain while immersed in the throes of a 36-point turnaround-slash-implosion.

Score: Sixers 102, Cavs 95 | 4:58 remaining in the fourth quarter

Following a Jaylen Brown step-back jumper, the Sixers are now actually up three. That's a 32-point turnaround. Which is insane.

Score: Sixers 98, Cavs 85 | 5:36 remaining in the fourth quarter

What a comeback from Philly.

And what a potential meltdown from Cleveland.

These mid-game player interviews generally don't yield much. We could all probably do without them.

Except this one. Maxey explaining the importance of Game 2-of-82 resilience has me ready to run through a brick wall, and if need be, follow him into hell.

Mario Hezonja is giving the Cavs great minutes off the bench. He has more points (10) than James Harden (9) and is playing with a coordinated physicality he didn't have during his first go-round at the NBA level.

While the NBA doesn't have an official Comeback Player of the Year honor, Hezonja is the odds-on favorite to take it home in spirit. Especially following the Ben Simmons Achilles injury.

Score: Cavs 95, Sixers 89 | 8:24 remaining in the fourth quarter

Philly is opening up the fourth using the same approach. LeBron is guarding Evan Mobley, and Joel Embiid continues to roam, mostly off of Mario Hezonja.

The Sixers outscored the Cavaliers 37-21 in the third quarter to cut their deficit to eight points. Their play was a complete 180.

LeBron James hit another gear on offense. Tyrese Maxey was a human blur at both ends. The defense was sensational.

Donovan Mitchell's shot-making have helped Cleveland stem the tide. Mario Hezonja (yes, him) also hit two big buckets to close the third.

Grab your popcorn. It looks like we're heading for a photo finish.

Score: Cavs 90, Sixers 82 | End of the third quarter

Seriously, how can you not love VJ Edgecombe? He's doing all the dirty work for the Sixers—defending, running, cutting, passing, even rebounding. His job description apparently includes taking elbows from LeBron, too.

For anyone wondering, the elbow was not on purpose. Philly's two stars were going after a rebound off a missed free throw.

Score: Cavs 84, Sixers 80 | 2:45 remaining in the third quarter

Kofie might be on to something here.

Score: Cavs 80, Sixers 75 | 3:59 remaining in the third quarter

I'm not sure where Tyrese Maxey landed on all the preseason rankings floating around the interwebz. But I'm certain it was too low.

He's now up to 21 points, five assists and two steals. And he's getting "M-V-P" chants from the crowd as I type this.

Difficulty level: 11/10.

Philly already has eight made buckets at the hoop in the third, driven largely by forcing turnovers and starting to run more often. A Tyrese Maxey transition three just cut the lead to seven.

Score: Cavs 80, Sixers 73 | 5:18 remaining in the third quarter

Everything has tightened up for the Sixers. The defense. The ball control. The shot selection. They're dominating the third quarter.

The comeback is being fueled by an emphasis on getting into the paint. This is one of a couple finishes on the break from LeBron. Jaylen Brown has two finishes at the hoop himself. Joel Embiid has gotten closer to the basket as well.

Also, Tyrese Maxey just keeps coming up with steals.

Score: Cavs 79, Sixers 66 | 6:58 remaining in the third quarter

Mind you, it's not just LeBron. The Sixers as a team have eight turnovers on 12 transition plays, according to Prime Stats.

On the bright side, they're taking better care of the ball to start the third quarter. They have come out of the locker room to score eight straight points. The crowd is back into it as well.

Score: Cavs 69, Sixers 53 | 11:09 remaining in the third quarter

Jarrett Allen is balling right alongside Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley, too. He takes 14 points and five boards into the locker room.

Cleveland building a 24-point lead while having a relatively quiet night from James Harden (six points, three assists) doesn't bode well for the Sixers. Tyrese Maxey (15 points, two assists) is the only player making this watchable from Philly's end.

Jaylen Brown is a ghost right now. He has almost as many turnovers (three) as points (four). LeBron James is turnover machine at the moment as well. He's responsible for five of the Sixers' 14 giveaways. The dedication to featuring Joel Embiid is starting to feel like a version of self-destruction.

Score: Cavs 69, Sixers 45 | HALFTIME

Is scoring 0.45 points per transition possession bad?

(Yes, it's putrid.)

Kudos to Sixers fans for getting loud on this one. They so badly want something to cheer right now.

Maybe, just maybe, the Sixers can give it to them.

And yet, as I type this, Philly committed a turnover and the crowed started booing. Can't say I blame them.

Score: Cavs 62, Sixers 35 | 2:48 remaining in the second quarter

This photo is the best thing the Sixers have going for them in the first half.

...even if the Sixers wish they did.

This is quickly becoming a butt-kicking. Richard Jefferson is already asking "What's the record for turnovers?" on the ESPN broadcast.

Score: Cavs 54, Sixers 30 | 5:42 remaining in the second quarter

Evan Mobley is already up to 11 second-quarter points while doing a bit of everything. Not only did he bury this pull-up out of an inverted pick-and-roll, but he just nailed a wing three—a shot that's always going to be there for him.

Apart from Tyrese Maxey, the Sixers don't have much going for them. They have turned the ball over on more than 30 percent of their possessions for the game and can't seem to grab a rebound in the second quarter.

Score: Cavs 52, Sixers 28 | 6:43 remaining in the second quarter

Rolling with the Donovan Mitchell-Evan Mobley pairing makes sense in a vacuum. Jarrett Allen is the prototypical James Harden big man.

Still, Mobley and Harden were actually one of Cleveland's better pick-and-roll duos by the end of last season. Going away from that may be a vote of confidence in Mobley's creation independent of Harden. Or just proof that the Cavs won't stick to any hard-and-fast staggering patterns.

At any rate, Cleveland has opened up a 20-point lead and is threatening to expand it even further.

Score: Cavs 44, Sixers 24 | 9:12 remaining in the second quarter

Donovan Mitchell is locked in at both ends right now. On top of this first-quarter buzzer-beater, he is 5-of-5 at the charity stripe and has come up with a few big defensive plays.

Philly's offense is a brutal watch right now. Not enough ball movement. Too many one-on-one possessions. Even more turnovers. Just 2-of-8 shooting from downtown.

The list goes on.

Cleveland's defense deserves a lot of credit for not overcommitting to any of Philly's ball-handlers. Donovan Mitchell has been active, bagging two steals and one block. The Cavs are running the floor nicely, too. They already have an 8-0 lead in transition.

Score: Cavs 35, Sixers 18 | End of the first quarter

Remember when people were worried about VJ Edgecombe figuring out how to score on this team?

Yeah, I don't, either.

Not every 21-year-old drafted in the top five barely a year ago is hard-wired to run and cut his way to baskets on an endless loop. Edgecombe seems different.

In other news: The Cavs have fleshed out a 14-point lead.

Score: Cavs 32, Sixers 18 | 24.6 seconds remaining in the first quarter

We interrupt your on-court updates with an important observation: NBA players are exceptionally talented at developing special handshakes with new teammates.

Not surprisingly, LeBron might just be the very best of all time at it.

It's fair to say (a healthy) Max Strus wasn't going to do this.

Getting around even a half-baked Joel Embiid screen is no small task. Watson just made it look easy.

Cleveland opened a double-digit lead just a bit later. Philly's offense lacks flow and is heavy on Embiid one-on-one possessions. The threes aren't falling, either. Head coach Nick Nurse has since turned to his Tyrese Maxey-Jaylen Brown-plus-the-bench lineup to bridge the gap.

Score: Cavs 25, Sixers 16 | 2:00 remaining in the first quarter

The crowd reaction, again, stands out here. As does the fact LeBron's first bucket was a three rather than a trademark finishing off a drive.

This is one of the few Sixers highlights we have so far. They have committed six turnovers out of the gate, three of which have come at LeBron's hands. They're down only two, though.

Score: Cavs 13, Sixers 11 | 6:18 remaining in the first quarter

Full stop, I don't think Lakers or Heat fans were this loud for LeBron's first home intro. The Sixers' faithful don't mess around.

Someday, Sixers fans won't react to LeBron's chalk toss like they've just seen a deity.

That day is not today.

It's almost like LeBron James and Jaylen Brown are making their regular-season home debuts or something.

By the way: We're off! LeBron has already hit a three, and the crowd went wild. We also already had LeBron hit VJ Edgecombe on a cut to the hoop.

Score: Cavs 6, Sixers 5 | 9:30 remaining in the first quarter

Just do the dunk contest already, LeBron. Please.

And also proof that the rhythm is going to get you.

No, not Claude. Allen Iverson!

Did anyone else have Boyz II Men's Christmas Interpretations on cassette growing up? Or was that just me?

How much time to the Cavs carve out on-ball for him?

Watson ran a lot of the Denver Nuggets' offseason for a beat last year while Nikola Jokić was sidelined. And the Cavs have a need for creation outside of James Harden and Donovan Mitchell.

Whether Watson's good enough to provide it is one thing. How the Cavs go about using him offensively when they also have Evan Mobley to account for is another.

Dean Wade already missed the Sixers' season-opener with this same ankle injury. He is listed as day-to-day, so this doesn't profile as a long-term concern.

Immediately, though, we should expect to see more units with Jabari Walker—including lineups that feature him or LeBron James at the 5.

This group was a plus-eight in 16 minutes against the New York Knicks on Tuesday night. Somewhat surprisingly, they cut their teeth on the defensive end, limiting the reigning champs to just 0.71 points per possession.

Shooting progression is the big thing to watch. Philly's Fantastic Five(?) hit just two of their 13 three-point attempts to open the season. Something tells me they'll want to convert more than 15.4 percent of their triples moving forward.

This is the starting lineup everyone would have predicted. It also makes a ton of sense on paper.

Still, it'll be interesting to see how head coach Kenny Atkinson staggers these guys. Part of Peyton Watson's appeal is he might have more skill to explore on-ball. And we'll definitely be seeing one-big units peppered throughout the game.