PHILADELPHIA -- Let's call it what it is. That first half for the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday was a disaster. The Cleveland Cavaliers ran over the Sixers in the first half as they were the more physical and intentional team and they build a lead as large as 29.
The Sixers committed 15 turnovers for 22 Cavaliers points in the first half and allowed Cleveland to grab eight offensive rebounds. It looked like the Cavs were going to spoil the much anticipated home opener for this Sixers team.
However, Philadelphia dug deep, completely changed things in the second half, and rallied for an improbable 114-106 win. The Sixers were fantastic after halftime as they outscored Cleveland 69-37 and committed only two turnovers as they buckled down on both
ends as Jaylen Brown and Co. were able to figure it out.
"Just needed to play harder," Brown explained. "They was outplaying us in the first half. We was watching the game too much, kind of looking around, waiting for somebody else to do it. We just had to hit first when we came out, and I think that was just a testament of our resiliency of this group. So it's a good sign, but we got a lot to work on."
There is certainly much to work on. The first half turnovers were a cause of a lot of clunkiness and lack of cohesion as Philadelphia continues to figure out this brand new group. Brown himself committed four turnovers in the first half and that is something that has to be addressed as time moves on, but the Sixers would rather be winning and figuring this out rather than the opposite.
"Yeah, spacing, when to drive, when not to, you know what I mean?" Brown added. "Timing, when to cut, those little things that we still are working on, and we still got to figure out. But you know, it's good to figure out and win at the same time."
Brown finished with 21 points with 10 of them coming in a critical fourth quarter. Especially, with LeBron James and Joel Embiid on the bench resting for the stretch run. The Sixers fed the ball to Brown and let him go to work as he showed off what he can do on a regular basis.
"I'm still figuring it out," Brown stated. "It's going to take some time. You know, just trying to earn trust from my teammates, earn trust from my coaching staff, and those moments continue to build up. I feel like I'm one of the most, you know, I feel like I can make plays for my team. I'm a winning player, so whatever it takes for us to win, that's what I'm willing to do."
While being down 29 and having to rally isn't ideal for this group, the Sixers being able to show off that type of heart and resilience here in the early going is a positive sign for them as they move forward. Brown and Co. will just be looking to build off this and move forward as a group.
"I think it's a great win for us," Brown finished. "It's a long season. There's going to be some ups and downs, but how you respond to adversity is everything. For me personally, just trying to earn trust from my teammates on both sides of the ball, from the coaching staff, and to come out and just do what God has blessed me to do. So being able to make plays, being able to make plays for others, being able to shift the game. I'm just looking forward to just showing up on my team all year."
The Sixers will host the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Jaylen Brown gives his take on the Sixers rallying to beat Cavaliers
