Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid (21) collides with Cleveland Cavaliers' Jaylon Tyson (20) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
October 22, 2026 - 9:49 PM
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Tyrese Maxey scored 32 points and Joel Embiid had 24 to help LeBron James and the Philadelphia 76ers wipe out a 29-point deficit in their home opener and stun the Cleveland Cavaliers 114-106 on Thursday night.
James had 17 points and 10 rebounds in the biggest comeback win of his career, and fellow newcomer Jaylen Brown had 21 points in game that already may be tough for the Sixers to top this season, which they’ve started with wins over the NBA champion Knicks and the Eastern Conference finalist Cavaliers.
The Sixers refused to go down without a fight and nearly got into one when Maxey and his former Philadelphia teammate James Harden went nose-to-nose in the fourth before they were separated. Maxey was relentless on defense and was the catalyst for a 15-0 run in the fourth that gave the Sixers the lead and left the Cavaliers fumbling for answers.
Donovan Mitchell scored 32 points for the Cavs in their season opener.
James flirted in free agency with a third stint in Cleveland before he signed a two-year deal with the Sixers for the veteran minimum.
He won one of his four NBA titles with the Cavaliers and is trying to add a fifth ring in Philadelphia. The hype for the home opener was real, with tickets listed on secondary markets for around $4,000 in the lower bowl. The win against the Knicks only cranked up the enthusiasm for the first look in Philly at James and Brown — and they responded with an opener to remember.
THUNDER 96, NUGGETS 84
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Jalen Williams scored 21 points, Chet Holmgren had 12 points and 17 rebounds, and Oklahoma City withstood a poor shooting night from Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander in its home opener to beat Denver.
Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 32 points in a convincing win over San Antonio on Tuesday night, finished with 17 points on 6-of-19 shooting against Denver. He failed to score 20 points for the first time in 141 games.
The league’s two-time reigning MVP missed all seven shots he took in the first 24 minutes as the Thunder trailed by as many as nine points. A pair of free throws kept him from going scoreless in a half for the first time since his rookie year with the Clippers in 2019.
It marked just the fourth time in 450 games with the Thunder he’s gone without a field goal in a half in. Gilgeous-Alexander scored the first basket of the third quarter to pull Oklahoma City to 48-46.
Aaron Gordon scored 20 points and Nikola Jokic and DeMar DeRozan added 13 apiece for Denver, which was playing its first game.
News from © The Associated Press, 2026