Sixers Player Grades: Sixers Storm Back From Down 29 To Defeat the Cavs, 114-106
Player Grades
Tyrese Maxey
42 min, 32 pts (12-23 FG, 2-7 3P, 6-8 FT), 3 reb, 6 ast, 2 TO, 2 stl, +19
He was the one who kept the offense from completely stalling when everything else was broken early, then became the primary driver of the third-quarter runs that erased the deficit. The Cavs never really solved him once the game opened up, and he finished plays that turned the momentum for good.
Jaylen Brown
38 min, 21 pts (10-20 FG, 1-3 3P, 0-0 FT), 8 reb, 4 ast, 4 TO, 1 stl, +17
Started slowly and looked a little unsure of his spots in the new lineup, but he got more comfortable as the game went on and became a reliable scoring option during the runs. He was active on the glass and finished plays without forcing much, which is what this group needs from him right now.
Joel Embiid
34 min, 24 pts (8-16 FG, 1-4 3P, 7-9 FT), 7 reb, 1 ast, 1 TO, +18
Quiet and not especially impactful while the Sixers were digging out of the hole, but once they started the comeback he started punishing Cleveland’s bigs and finishing through contact. His presence in the middle helped stabilize the defense as the second half progressed and the Cavs’ offense dried up.
LeBron James
33 min, 17 pts (5-14 FG, 1-4 3P, 6-7 FT), 10 reb, 5 ast, 5 TO, 3 stl, 1 blk, +7
Involved in the early third-quarter surge that cut the lead, and he made some of the connective passes that helped the starters click once the game settled. The turnovers and missed shots early made the hole deeper than it needed to be, but he still found ways to affect the game on both ends once the Sixers started playing with more purpose.
VJ Edgecombe
33 min, 11 pts (4-11 FG, 1-4 3P, 2-3 FT), 7 reb, 6 ast, 1 TO, 3 stl, +19
One of the more consistent players throughout. He defended, moved the ball, and made timely plays during the runs without needing the ball a lot. When the starters were on the floor together in the second half, he looked comfortable filling gaps and didn’t hurt the group the way some of the bench did.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
25 min, 3 pts (1-1 FG, 1-1 3P, 0-0 FT), 3 reb, 2 ast, 1 TO, 1 stl, -4
Played a decent amount and did some of the little things (spacing, a couple of defensive possessions), but he didn’t move the needle much either way. The minutes were fine and hit a timely 3, yet the team’s overall flow was clearly better with the starters.
Anfernee Simons
17 min, 2 pts (0-4 FG, 0-4 3P, 2-3 FT), 3 reb, 0 ast, 1 TO, -24
The worst plus-minus of the night by a wide margin. His stretches coincided with some of the sloppiest stretches, and the offense stalled when he was on the floor. Not a lot of creation or shooting impact when the team needed either.
Adem Bona
14 min, 2 pts (1-2 FG, 0-1 3P, 0-0 FT), 2 reb, 0 ast, 1 TO, 1 blk, -10
Got some run and had a couple of solid moments positioning-wise, but the minutes were uneven. It was a pretty rough shoting, the drop-off from Embiid was noticeable whenever he was in, and the defensive rebounding and rim protection weren’t consistent enough.
Jabari Walker
4 min, 2 pts (1-1 FG, 0-0 3P, 0-0 FT), 1 reb, 0 ast, 0 TO, -2
Very limited minutes. Didn’t hurt the team in his short stint and scored a couple of points, but there wasn’t enough time for him to make a real imprint one way or the other.