Hours After Trump's Blast, LeBron's Home Debut: Philadelphia's Incredible Win From 29 Points Down
Just hours after fierce criticism from President Donald Trump, LeBron James witnessed an incredible comeback in his home debut for the Philadelphia 76ers. In Thursday's NBA game, Philadelphia beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 114-106 despite trailing by 29 points.
Only hours before the game, Trump had attacked LeBron. The US president accused the NBA legend of disrespecting the national anthem in a game earlier this season. LeBron is said to have appeared to practise basketball and golf shots during the anthem ahead of Tuesday's game at the New York Knicks.
LeBron himself has made no statement or offered any response to Trump's criticism. The 76ers have reportedly been contacted for a response as well. He did not let the off-court controversy affect his play on the court — this win is the proof.
It was LeBron's first home game since landing in Philadelphia as a free agent. But the start of the match was a nightmare for the hosts. The new-look team, including former Boston star Jaylen Brown, struggled to find rhythm and protect the ball.
Cleveland, disappointed not to land hometown hero James after he announced he was leaving the Los Angeles Lakers after eight seasons, appeared to be on a mission to show him what he missed. Donovan Mitchell scored 22 of his 32 points in the first half as the Cavs seized control. Philadelphia's 15 first-half turnovers led to 22 Cavs points, five of the turnovers coming from James himself, and the Sixers heard boos from their own fans.
But the picture changed from the start of the third quarter. Philadelphia opened on an 11-0 run and cut the lead to single digits at 80-73 on back-to-back baskets from Tyrese Maxey. A running layup by Maxey with 2:33 left in the third reduced the deficit to two points, though Cleveland took a 90-82 lead into the fourth quarter.
In the final quarter Philadelphia never looked back. A jump shot by Joel Embiid with 6:54 left gave the Sixers their first lead of the night — one they would not relinquish. They outscored Cleveland 60-37 in the second half, giving up just two turnovers in that half.
Maxey scored a game-high 32 points and Embiid added 24. Jaylen Brown, the Sixers' other big off-season acquisition, scored 21 points and pulled down eight rebounds. Four-time NBA champion James added 17 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
The comeback was Philadelphia's biggest of the play-by-play era that started in 1996, and also the biggest of James's storied career. The league's all-time leading scorer said: 'You don't want to rely on that. I think it's great to know that deep down we're not going to have that quit mentality. You never want to look around and say guys gave up. But you don't want to put yourself in too many of those situations.'
For Cleveland, Evan Mobley scored 18 points but just three in the second half. Jarrett Allen scored 14 but was held scoreless after the break. Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe said: 'We stayed together, that's the main thing. When it got worse we could have given up, we didn't. It's an early season test, early season adversity, and we overcame it.'
Coming after Tuesday's win over the reigning champion New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, this victory brightens Philadelphia's start to the season further. For fans dreaming of a title run after the arrivals of James and Brown, this comeback sends a big message.
Elsewhere, the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Denver Nuggets 96-84. Two-time reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander saw his streak of games with at least 20 points end at 141; he finished with 17 points. Jalen Williams led Oklahoma City with a game-high 21 points. Denver's three-time MVP Nikola Jokic also had a quiet night, connecting on five of 19 attempts for 13 points with seven rebounds and five assists, while Aaron Gordon led the Nuggets with 20.
