The Philadelphia 76ers and their fans got a glimpse of what could have been Friday night.
While the “Big Three” the Sixers had hoped for this season weren’t all together on the court, two of them helped lead the team to a win against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Sixers beat the Cavs, who have the best record in the NBA, in a 132-129 victory at the Wells Fargo Center.
Paul George scored 30 points, making 6 of 11 three-pointers, and Tyrese Maxey added 29 points with seven assists. With Joel Embiid out due to knee swelling, Kelly Oubre Jr. stepped up with 22 points and 13 rebounds. Guerschon Yabusele also contributed with 12 points and 13 rebounds.
The Cavaliers took a 28-23 lead late in the first quarter, but the Sixers responded with a 16-5 run to end the quarter, helped by three-pointers from Maxey, Eric Gordon, and Justin Edwards.
Cleveland then outscored Philadelphia 34-25 in the second quarter to take a 67-64 lead into halftime. The game stayed close, and the Cavaliers were expected to make a strong push in the second half, but that didn’t happen.
George scored 14 points in the third quarter, and Oubre added nine, helping the Sixers hold a 98-96 lead going into the fourth. Despite Cleveland briefly taking a 116-110 lead, the Sixers rallied with seven straight points, including a three-pointer from Gordon, who was perfect from beyond the arc.
The Sixers stayed in control, extending their lead to eight points with less than two minutes remaining. The Cavaliers made a late push and got within one point at 127-126, but Maxey sealed the win with four free throws. Donovan Mitchell hit another three for Cleveland, but Edwards made a free throw with 1.1 seconds left to secure the victory.
Mitchell finished with 37 points and seven assists, while Ty Jerome added 33 off the bench. Darius Garland also contributed 26 points and seven assists. Cleveland, who dropped to 36-8, was missing Evan Mobley due to a calf strain, and Jarrett Allen struggled with just eight points despite a favorable matchup against Yabusele.
The 76ers improved to 16-27 but still have work to do to make the play-in tournament, sitting in the No. 11 spot in the Eastern Conference.
Both teams will play again on Saturday. Cleveland hosts the Houston Rockets, while Philadelphia visits the Chicago Bulls.
