TYRESE Maxey erupted for 32 points and Joel Embiid added 24 as the Philadelphia 76ers erased a 29-point deficit to stun the Cleveland Cavaliers, 114-106, in their home opener Thursday night (Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, PH time), the Associated Press (AP) reported.
LeBron James contributed 17 points and 10 rebounds, while fellow newcomer Jaylen Brown finished with 21 points as Philadelphia extended its winning start to the season.
The Sixers opened their campaign with a victory over the New York Knicks, the defending NBA champions, before rallying against Cleveland, an Eastern Conference finalist.
Philadelphia refused to fold and nearly got into a physical confrontation when Maxey and former Sixers teammate James Harden went nose-to-nose in the fourth quarter before they were separated.
Maxey sparked a decisive 15-0 run in the final period, applying relentless defensive pressure as the Sixers seized the lead and left the Cavaliers searching for answers.
Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 32 points in its season opener.
James flirted with a third stint in Cleveland during free agency before signing a two-year, veteran-minimum contract with Philadelphia. He won one of his four NBA championships with the Cavaliers and is seeking a fifth title with the Sixers.
The excitement surrounding his Philadelphia debut was evident, with lower-bowl tickets reportedly listed on secondary markets for around $4,000, according
to AP.
The victory over the Knicks further fueled anticipation for the first home appearance of James and Brown, who delivered another memorable
performance.
The 41-year-old James, who was criticized by President Donald Trump earlier Thursday for not standing still during the national anthem, had several highlights, including an uncontested two-handed dunk in the first half and a basket off a steal by Maxey.
However, Philadelphia struggled early, missing 11 of 15 three-point attempts and committing 14 turnovers in the first half after recording just 12 in its season-opening win over New York. The home crowd responded with boos late in the second quarter, the AP noted.
Mitchell scored 22 points before halftime as Cleveland built a 29-point advantage. The lead evaporated in the fourth when Embiid scored seven consecutive points to pull Philadelphia ahead, 96-95.
Thunder 96, Nuggets 84
Jalen Williams scored 21 points and Chet Holmgren grabbed 17 rebounds to go with 12 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder overcame a poor shooting night from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to defeat the Denver Nuggets in their home opener.
Gilgeous-Alexander, who had scored 32 points in a convincing win over San Antonio on Tuesday, finished with 17 points on 6-of-19 shooting against Denver. He failed to reach 20 points for the first time in 141 games, according to AP.
The two-time reigning NBA Most Valuable Player missed all seven of his shots in the first 24 minutes as Oklahoma City fell behind by as many as nine points.
Two free throws prevented him from going scoreless in a half for the first time since his rookie season with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2019.
It was only the fourth time in 450 games with Oklahoma City that Gilgeous-Alexander failed to make a field goal in a half. He opened the third quarter with a basket to cut Denver’s lead to 48-46.
Aaron Gordon led Denver with 20 points, while Nikola Jokic and DeMar DeRozan added 13 apiece in the Nuggets’ season opener.
A layup by Mitchell gave Oklahoma City a 64-62 lead, its first since going ahead 3-0. Three-pointers from Alex Caruso and Gilgeous-Alexander extended the advantage to 70-64 entering the fourth quarter.
The Thunder eventually stretched their lead to 93-76 on a three-pointer by Gilgeous-Alexander with 1:44 remaining. He then asked to be taken out during a timeout and did not return. / LBG