October 23, 2026 at 5:04 AM UTC

Postgame Report

Sixers beat Cavaliers 114-106 in opener as Maxey scores 32

By How we produce articles

Tyrese Maxey scored 32 and Philadelphia held off Cleveland at home, while LeBron James had a double-double against the Cavaliers in his first meeting with them since passing on them.

The Cavaliers began their 2026-27 season the hard way, on the road at Xfinity Mobile Arena, and left with a 114-106 loss to the 76ers. Tyrese Maxey ran the evening for Philadelphia, scoring 32 points over 42 minutes, more than anyone on either side played. Joel Embiid added 24 and Jaylen Brown 21, which kept Donovan Mitchell's 32 points and 10 rebounds from being enough.

Jarrett Allen went in with a questionable tag, a right patellar tendinopathy that kept him on the injury report. He started anyway and played 28 minutes, finishing with 14 points and 7 rebounds. Cleveland's frontcourt held together well enough, and Evan Mobley had 18 points and 8 rebounds beside him. The Cavs still never found a way to close the gap on the Sixers' scoring.

The night also served as an introduction to some new faces. Peyton Watson, who arrived from Denver after a breakout year, started and played 30 minutes. He scored 8 points and grabbed a single rebound, a quiet first game for a player the Cavs are counting on. Mario Hezonja was more productive off the bench, with 10 points in 19 minutes.

Then there was LeBron James, who chose Philadelphia over his hometown team and so turned the opener into an early reunion. He played 33 minutes and finished with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists, a double-double. Cleveland's case was that Mitchell, James Harden and Mobley could stand up to that roster, and Harden's 16 points and 5 assists fit that argument. For one night, though, the Sixers had the extra scorer and the win.

Sources

All game reports