PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Tyrese Maxey wanted the 76ers to show some fight once a discombobulated offense earned them booming boos and a 29-point hole that threatened to spoil their home opener against Cleveland.
So he got into a tussle himself.
Once James Harden, a former Sixers fan favorite turned heel, grabbed Maxey's jersey, the Sixers' All-Star guard whipped around and shoved Harden. The two went nose-to-nose- though with Harden's 3-inch height edge,
it was more nose-to-beard — as a Sixers crowd instigated a howling profane chant toward the Cavaliers star.
Even the new kid on the block was impressed with the pure delirium that enveloped the arena.
“It was everything that I dreamed of, and more,” four-time NBA MVP LeBron James said.
LeBron already has the 76ers and their fans dreaming of a championship.
Yes, it is just two games into a very, very long season, yet the Sixers have already met the moment of an unworldly hype that started over the summer when they traded for Celtics star Jaylen Brown and then reeled in the marquee attraction on the free-agent market in the 41-year-old James.
They bullied the NBA champion Knicks in New York and spoiled a banner raising. Then came a win against the Cavaliers — last season's other Eastern Conference finalist — that already may be impossible for the Sixers to top this season, using a 21-minute stretch on Thursday night that whipped a 29-point hole into a nine-point lead and the biggest comeback victory of any team for James in his record 24th season.
Final: 76ers 114, Cavaliers 106.
“Just basically saying, let's see what we're made of at this point of the season,” James said. “I don't think we've got a locker room full of lay-down guys. There's a lot of game to be played. We answered the call.”
Loaded with talent, locked in with a common goal, the Sixers are a sizzle reel of excitement that have put the league on notice they are coming for that title.
The Sixers have even put a smile on Joel Embiid's face. The longest-tenured Sixer and official poster boy of The Process — yes, he still heard “trust the process" chants at the free-throw line — found an early joy that had eluded him over recent years as injuries continued to rob him of games and meeting his true potential.
A two-time scoring champion, Embiid was in vintage form in the fourth. There was a three-point play, a rebound, a floater, a sweet 17-footer. A seven-point stretch that made it 76ers 96, Cavaliers 95, and the comeback was complete. Philadelphia never trailed again.
“I've been here for a long time,” Embiid said, “and that was probably, not the best night, but top-five night for me since I've been in Philadelphia. That was great. I have no words. It was amazing.”
Embiid and James — accused Thursday by President Donald Trump of disrespecting the United States by not standing still during the national anthem — even laughed off the Philly boo birds that came late in the second half and the Sixers seemingly on the brink of wasting all the goodwill from their win over the Knicks.
“Got the boos,” James said with a laugh. “That was amazing. We deserved it. Then we got the cheers and almost blew the roof off this thing tonight.”
Here's one more gut-punch for Cleveland: James conceded that he flirted with the idea of signing in free agency for a third stint with the Cavaliers.
James started his career in Cleveland in 2003 and spent seven seasons with the Cavaliers before heading to Miami for four seasons — where he won his first two titles. He then returned to Cleveland for four more seasons, leaving in 2018 to start an eight-season run with the Lakers.
James visited with key members of Cleveland's front office over the summer while he considered signing with a team for what he said will be the last stop in his NBA career.
“The nature of the meeting, I probably won't discuss much, but it was a consideration for sure,” James said. “As a team trying to build toward a championship, things of that nature, I was trying to decide where I wanted to go with the rest of my career, to finish my career. Lot of consideration, for sure.”
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