Cavaliers Rout 76ers 119-95, Hold LeBron James to 8 Points in His Return to Cleveland

The Cleveland Cavaliers spoiled LeBron James’ return to Northeast Ohio on Friday night, routing the Philadelphia 76ers 119-95 in an NBA Cup group-stage game at Rocket Arena. Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 23 points. James finished with eight points on 3-of-12 shooting.

Philadelphia came in on a five-game winning streak. The loss was only the Sixers’ second in 10 games. They fall to 8-2, and Cleveland improves to 5-4.

Final score and key numbers

• Field goals: Philadelphia 31 of 85 (36.5%), Cleveland 40 of 88 (45.5%)
• 3-pointers: Philadelphia 10 of 40, Cleveland 13 of 37
• Rebounds: Cleveland won the boards by 14, according to the AP
• Biggest lead: Cleveland led by 25 in the fourth quarter

How did LeBron James play in his return to Cleveland?

James chose to sign with Philadelphia in the offseason instead of going back to Cleveland for a third stint. According to the AP recap, he went 3 of 12 from the field and 0 of 4 from 3-point range in 31 minutes. The box score also shows six turnovers. Cavaliers fans booed him lightly whenever he touched the ball in the first half, and he left the game for good with 3:54 remaining.

The AP noted this was only the 10th time in his 24-year career that James has scored in single digits in a regular-season game. His NBA-record run of 1,297 straight regular-season games with at least 10 points ended last Dec. 4, when he was still with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Who led the Cavaliers?

Mitchell had 23 points, seven rebounds and eight assists in 33 minutes. Evan Mobley added 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting, including 3 of 4 from deep. James Harden scored 17 against Philadelphia.

The bench helped too. Mario Hezonja had 13 points and 10 rebounds, according to the AP. Thomas Bryant scored 13 on 4-of-5 shooting, and rookie Meleek Thomas added 12. Peyton Watson, back after missing two games with right hamstring tightness, scored 13 and grabbed nine rebounds.

Cleveland won the rebounding battle even though center Jarrett Allen sat out with a bruised right knee. The Cavs also bounced back from two straight losses to Oklahoma City.

What went wrong for the 76ers?

Philadelphia shot 36.5% overall and went 10 of 40 on 3-pointers. Joel Embiid missed all nine of his field-goal attempts. He scored all six of his points at the free-throw line, where he went 6 of 6.

Jaylen Brown led the Sixers with 20 points. Rookie VJ Edgecombe scored 19 on 8-of-13 shooting, and Tyrese Maxey added 17. Edgecombe’s second-quarter shooting cut Cleveland’s lead to 48-39, but the Cavaliers answered and led 62-54 at halftime.

How the game turned

1. Fast start: After Philadelphia scored the game’s first basket, Cleveland answered with 12 straight points and led 33-22 after one quarter.
2. Second-quarter push: An alley-oop dunk by Mobley made it 46-30 early in the period. Philadelphia then came back to within four.
3. Third-quarter separation: The Cavs outscored the Sixers 29-20, and Mitchell’s late stepback 3 made it 91-74 heading into the fourth.
4. Fourth-quarter runaway: The lead reached 25 before both teams cleared their benches.

Why the game mattered

The game was James’ first in Cleveland since choosing Philadelphia over a return to the Cavaliers. It also ended the Sixers’ five-game winning streak. Philadelphia had been one of the league’s hottest teams, so a 24-point loss to a 5-4 team stood out.

In NBA Cup group play, Cleveland is now 1-0 and Philadelphia is 1-1.

What’s next?

• 76ers: at the Chicago Bulls on Sunday.
• Cavaliers: host the New York Knicks on Saturday.

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