Cleveland Cavaliers Squeak By Philadelphia 76ers
For roughly 40 minutes on Friday night, the Philadelphia 76ers looked like the team everyone in the ‘City of Brotherly Love” keeps praying they will be. They were energetic, they were aggressive, and for once, the “Big Three” looked somewhat cohesive. But basketball is a 48-minute game, and the Cavaliers only needed the final few seconds to remind everyone why they are a force to be reckoned with.
In a rematch that felt less like a regular-season game and more like a grudge match, the Sixers let a double-digit fourth-quarter lead evaporate, ultimately falling 117-115. The dagger? An Evan Mobley dunk with 4.8 seconds left that silenced Xfinity Mobile Arena,
A Tale Of Two Halves For the Cavaliers
The Sixers should have won this game. They had the momentum, the crowd, and a Joel Embiid who decided to play like an MVP again. Embiid was a man possessed, dropping 33 points and snagging 5 boards. He was hitting mid-range jumpers, bullying Jarrett Allen in the paint, and even draining threes. It was the kind of performance that makes you text your friends, “We’re back.”
But the Cavaliers just wouldn’t go away. While Embiid was cooking, Cleveland found an unlikely hero in Jaylon Tyson. He didn’t just score 39 points; he tormented the Sixers. He was in Tyrese Maxey’s jersey all night, using his length to harass the Sixers’ speedster and disrupt Philadelphia’s perimeter flow. Maxey finished with 22 points, but he had to work for every single bucket.
How the Sixers Let It Slip
You could feel the air leave the building in the fourth quarter. It wasn’t a sudden collapse, but a slow, painful leak. The Sixers’ defense, which had been locking down the Cavaliers for three quarters, suddenly looked like a turnstile at rush hour.
Paul George, who had a solid all-around game with 14 points and some gritty defensive plays, tried to steady the ship. He was making passes, diving for loose balls, and hitting clutch shots. But it wasn’t enough to stop the bleeding.
The Cavaliers chipped away at the lead, possession by possession. Donovan Mitchell was being hounded by Kelly Oubre Jr., but Cleveland’s depth shone through. When Mitchell was covered, Tyson stepped up. When Tyson cooled off, Mobley was there to clean up the mess.
And then came the final possession. Tie game. Tension thick enough to cut with a cheesesteak knife. The Cavaliers ran a set, the defense scrambled, and suddenly there was Mobley, soaring through the lane for a dunk that felt like a punch to the gut. 117-115. Game over.
What’s Next For Philly?
This loss stings because it was winnable. It was right there for the taking. But the Cavaliers proved that talent alone isn’t enough; you need execution down the stretch.
Cleveland heads home feeling like kings of the comeback, having erased multiple double-digit deficits. They proved they have the mental fortitude to win ugly on the road.
For Philadelphia, it’s back to the drawing board. You can’t blow double-digit leads in the fourth quarter and expect to be taken seriously as a contender. The talent is there, the pieces fit on paper, but until they learn to close out games against elite competition like the Cavaliers, they’re destined for more nights like this.
