Cavaliers blow a 29-point lead as Maxey and Harden go nose-to-nose in Philadelphia

The Cleveland Cavaliers led the Philadelphia 76ers by 29 points on Thursday night and lost 114-106. It was Cleveland's season opener and the first Philadelphia home game for LeBron James, the player the Cavs tried to bring back this summer. A crowd that booed its own team before halftime ended up watching the largest Sixers comeback of the play-by-play era, per the NBA.

Cleveland scored 69 points in the first half and 37 in the second. The Cavaliers went 7 of 29 from 3-point range, and James Harden, a former Sixer, finished with 16 points and six turnovers. Donovan Mitchell scored 32 with 10 rebounds and still lost by eight.

Maxey vs. Harden

The fourth quarter got heated. Tyrese Maxey and Harden went nose-to-nose before they were separated, according to the Associated Press recap on ESPN, and Maxey's defense drove a 15-0 run that gave Philadelphia the lead. Maxey finished with 32 points, six assists and two steals. ESPN posted a clip of Maxey saying: "Are we going to lay down, roll over, and just let them win? Or are we gonna fight?"

Joel Embiid scored seven straight points to make it 96-95 and finished with 24. Jaylen Brown had 21, and James had 17 points and 10 rebounds in what ESPN's recap calls the biggest comeback win of his career.

Cleveland's questions

The James subplot makes this one sting. Cleveland was one of five finalists James considered and the only one he visited, according to ESPN, before he signed a two-year, $8 million deal with Philadelphia. Coach Kenny Atkinson said before the game that when a move like that falls through, "you're depressed, quite honestly." The Cavs pivoted to a five-team sign-and-trade for Peyton Watson, who had eight points on 2-of-7 shooting in his debut.

Even the lighting took heat. The AP noted that a new system at the Sixers' arena gave the ESPN broadcast a blue tint with heavy streaks and reflections.

What to watch: Cleveland's home opener Saturday against Brooklyn and whether the 3-point shooting recovers after a 24% night. Philadelphia, 2-0 with wins over the Knicks and Cavs, hosts Milwaukee on Saturday and Detroit on Sunday.