Sixers Rally from 29 Down to Stun Opponents in Home Opener

The revamped Philadelphia 76ers delivered a statement victory in their regular-season home debut, erasing a 29-point first-half hole to secure a 114-106 triumph Thursday night. The historic 38-point swing marked the largest comeback in franchise history for a home opener.

Tyrese Maxey paced the offense with 32 points and six assists, while Joel Embiid dominated the second half en route to 24 points and seven rebounds. Kelly Oubre Jr. chipped in 18 points, and Tobias Harris added 15 points off the bench to fuel the rally.

Philadelphia claimed its first lead at 96-95 with five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, sparked by seven consecutive points from Embiid. A trio of clutch buckets from Maxey — a step-back three, a driving finish through contact, and a mid-range pull-up — extended the advantage to seven and silenced any hopes of a visitor recovery.

According to ESPN Stats & Information, teams holding a 20-point halftime lead in season openers had entered the night 65-0 since the shot-clock era began in 1954-55, making the Sixers’ reversal a statistical anomaly.

Source link