Category: Sports News

As much as things change, they stay the same. The Cleveland Cavaliers opened the new season with a performance that was eerily similar (and equally as deflating) to their Game 1 loss to the New York Knicks in May.

Let’s unpack this.

As always, grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.

Player of the game

Mario Hezonja

10 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals

If there is a single thing I can leave this game feeling encouraged about — it was Mario Hezonja.

Hezonja looks like he belongs. His added strength allows him to be a mismatch-beater in the post, putting Philly into a bind anytime they switched a smaller player onto him. Hezonja is a skilled finisher and a crafty playmaker. This makes him a great option to have on their bench.

Defensively, Hezonja kept up with Philly’s pace (until the wheels came off around him). His isolation defense on Jaylen Brown was a highlight. So was this pick-six.

He also had a pair of surgical post-ups to end the third quarter that gave me life.

Grade: B+

Passed the Class

Donovan Mitchell

32 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 turnovers

There was a lot to like about Mitchell’s first half. He scored 22 points and only missed two shots. His dynamic scoring gave Cleveland a massive lead that should have been enough to coast to victory.

It wasn’t. And Mitchell’s turnovers (5) didn’t help the Cavs hold on as the lead was slipping.

Still, I think Mitchell is the only other player who did enough to keep a passing grade. I’m not saying he passed with flying colors — but an efficient 32 points and 10 rebounds is hard to knock. I don’t think he was the most guilty party in this meltdown.

Grade: C+

Missed the mark

Peyton Watson

8 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 5 turnovers

This was not a good showing for Watson. The biggest concern you could have had (his effect on the floor spacing) was a factor right away.

Philly began ignoring Watson in the second half. Leaving him open and packing the paint. He responded by clanking an open three-pointer and barreling into traffic. Watson shot 0-3 from downtown and had 5 turnovers.

We can see where Watson fits defensively, and it’s beautiful. But they’ll need much more from him offensively to justify this.

Grade: F

Jarrett Allen

14 points, 7 rebounds

Allen was electric to start this game. His 14 points in the first half felt massive as the 76ers simply couldn’t contain him.

It turns out, the Cavs would help Philly turn the tide in that regard.

Allen didn’t score in the second half. He only attempted one shot.

Much of this came from the aforementioned floor-spacing issues. You can’t pass the ball into the paint if there are five bodies there.

Still, how many times have the Cavs soared to a massive lead by riding the backs of their bigs, only to ignore them down the stretch?

I don’t get paid to solve the problem… but I can confidently say the Cavs need to figure this out!

Grade: D+

Evan Mobley

18 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists

I could repeat almost everything I said about Allen here.

Mobley was fantastic in the first half, particularly in the second quarter when his outside shot made it feel pointless for the Sixers to even try.

But those results were diminishing, and Mobley struggled to hit perimeter shots and create a bucket when given a runway. I’m placing this more on Mobley than anyone else. He has to find a way to avoid scenarios like this if the Cavs are going to be taken as serious threats.

Grade: F

James Harden

16 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 6 turnovers

Harden was playing fast and loose for most of the night. There was a sequence in the first half where he turned it over on consecutive possessions, topping it off with an airball on the third.

He was far from their biggest problem. In fact, his shot-making gave them a fighting chance in the final minutes. But still, your starting point guard can’t have more turnovers than made field goals if you want to win a game.

Grade: D+

LeBron James is living up to the hype with his new team.

In his debut in the City of Brotherly Love as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers, the NBA's all-time leading scorer led a 29-point comeback to boost his team to a 114-106 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Philadelphia went on a 15-0 run in the fourth quarter Thursday at Xfinity Mobile Arena, powered by three straight buckets from Jaylen Brown. The 76ers went up by as many as nine points with 4:06 left in the game.

In the final minute, Tyrese Maxey and Brown each had a basket to secure the win. Maxey led the team with 32 points, six assists and three rebounds. Joel Embiid added 24 points and seven rebounds while Brown had 21 points and eight boards.

It was a tale of two halves…

The Cleveland Cavaliers nearly kicked the 2026-27 season off with a bang, sending a first-half message straight to the King with a 29-point lead.

Then the second half happened.

Everything the Cavs did right in the first went out the window. They had begun the game forcing 15 turnovers. Now they were the ones being stripped and taken the other way. Their presence in the paint dissipated as the Sixers took full control.

A few factors spun this the wrong way for Cleveland.

Those 15 turnovers from Philly in the first half amounted to nothing. The Sixers only turned it over once in the second half — and finished with fewer turnovers than the Cavaliers. Philly’s speed in transition was enough to narrow the gap almost immediately.

On offense, the Cavs faced a shrunk floor as Joel Embiid was moved into the paint to play free safety. He no longer worried about Evan Mobley or Peyton Watson from downtown. Those are shots the Sixers were willing to concede. In effect, the paint was now swarmed with length and athleticism to make life difficult for the Cavs.

It’s hard to feed the bigs when the paint is packed. Cleveland’s frontcourt combined for 29 points in the first half. They only scored 3 points in the second. That’s a story we’ve heard too many times with this team.

Bad turned to worse, and the Cavs found themselves on the wrong end of a massive comeback.

I’ll leave you with one positive.

Mario Hezonja had a triumphant return to the NBA despite the final score. He showed his growth by attacking a mismatch in the post before taking a steal and going coast-to-coast for a slam. Hezonja also held up defensively and steadied the ship momentarily with his post-scoring.

The Cavs can at least find solace in knowing they have a legit talent in Hezonja.

This team might just have some juice.

The Sixers erased a 29-point deficit to win their home opener 114-106 over the Cleveland Cavaliers Thursday night.

Tyrese Maxey put together the most complete game, leading the Sixers with 32 points with six assists. Joel Embiid quietly came alive, putting up 24 points and seven rebounds.

LeBron James had a very similar game to his Sixers debut, finishing with 17 points on 13 shots along with 10 rebounds and five assists. Jaylen Brown didn’t find his footing until the fourth quarter, but hit some big late baskets to finish with 21 points and eight rebounds. Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 32.

Dean Wade, out again with an ankle injury, is still yet to make his Sixers debut despite coming into the night questionable.

Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.

First Quarter

• Lost in all the excitement for the night was the fact that this was Embiid’s first time playing against James Harden since they were teammates over three years ago now. Whether the crowd was totally aware of that or not, Harden got a healthy amount of boos during player introductions as well as when the ball was in his hands.
• LeBron got the crowd amped early, knocking down a three on his first shot of the night before hitting a cutting Edgecombe with a slick bounce pass. After a couple of baskets inside from Jarrett Allen, Embiid backed him down in the post for his first points of the game. There were still some choppy moments offensively with five turnovers in as many minutes. That included fumbling away a fast break opportunity and a five-second call trying to inbound the ball.

• Anfernee Simons and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope were once again the first subs of the night for Maxey and Brown. Simons had his first jumper attempt of the night swatted by Peyton Watson. It was a short stagger as Maxey and Brown checked back in a minute later while LeBron, Embiid and Edgecombe went to the bench.
• The Sixers’ offense stagnated, going scoreless for nearly three minutes and the Cavs were able to get out to a double-digit lead. Brown went to the basket to try to end it but his contested layup was no good, but Adem Bona was able to time up this rebound and put it back.
• As they’ve been able to for a couple seasons now, Cleveland did a really good job preventing the Sixers from getting into the paint in the quarter. Brown settled for a couple contested jumpers before finally getting on the board with a layup 11 minutes into the game. Unfortunately for the Sixers, that was sandwiched between two more turnovers. Mitchell hit a nasty stepback three at the buzzer to give the Cavs a 17-point lead after the first.

Second Quarter

• Brown looked to have a drive that would get him in rhythm, but his forearm got called for an offensive foul. It’s so unfair they waited until he wasn’t on the Celtics to make that a point of emphasis. On the next possession he sailed a pass intended for KCP, drawing this team’s first rain of boos from their home fans.
• Similar to the Knicks game, Nick Nurse brought Jabari Walker in after a rough start from Bona, but against a team this tall, he brought Embiid back on the court with him. Embiid backed down Mobley for a layup and Walker grabbed a putback layup, but the struggling Sixers were unable to give the Cavs any resistance. Mitchell seemed to be getting by defenders with ease while they didn’t have a physical match for Evan Mobley.
• It didn’t seem like the Sixers were prepared for or adjusted to how aggressive Cleveland was defending the perimeter. By the time they had gotten into an action the Cavs had sent two guys wherever the ball was going. It looked so hard for them to get easy baskets and that reflected in their poor field goal percentage for the half.
• Cleveland’s offense didn’t allow the Sixers many transition opportunities, but the Sixers threw away the few ones they did get. There’s been plenty of mistimed passes on fast breaks so far that look like guys figuring each other out. There were also plenty of Sixers passes in the first half that were just trying to cross the court over too many defenders. The Sixers turned it over 15 times in the first half, more than any half from last season. Maxey, the only Sixer to play remotely well in the half, kicked to Embiid for a corner three that cut the Cavs led to 24 at the half.

Third Quarter

• The second half started in a very similar fashion — this time it was Brown knocking down the corner triple assisted by Maxey. They ran quickly off the ensuing Cavs’ miss, allowing LeBron to find a cutting Edgecombe under the basket for an and-1. Maxey closed a strong defensive possession with a steal and hit James for another transition layup, drawing a foul and prompting a timeout from Kenny Atkinson 51 seconds into the third.

• LeBron made the free throw and the Sixers got another stop coming out of the timeout. That led to Embiid sealing Allen for another post bucket. Maxey and Brown turned the ball over trying to get to the hoop on consecutive possessions, helping the Cavs stop the bleeding. Brown made up for that with a whirling dervish of a layup followed by another LeBron transition basket. They were still down 13, but the building had come to life.
• It was a similar recipe to opening night that helped the Sixers get turnovers: get smaller with their big matchups to let Embiid roam off Watson. Fittingly, it was a Watson missed three that allowed the Sixers to once again push the ball up the floor to a Maxey three that finally cut the lead under double digits and got Atkinson to call another timeout.

• Embiid missing two at the line halted things a bit, but Allen missed two on the next trip down the floor to give everyone chicken. LeBron got fouled in the process of trying to grab that rebound, but he also inadvertently hit Edgecombe in the head on the way up. Edgecombe used the infectious disease control timeout to make sure the crowd stayed hype.
• Nurse obviously rode the starters a lot longer into the third as the run continued, but they had to take Embiid out of the gate at some point, which meant more Bona minutes. He picked up a goaltend and a foul, but also blocked a shot that sprung all the way out for Maxey to grab it for a transition layup. It was at least a better shift than his first. Cleveland banked in a couple baskets to push their lead back up to eight to close the quarter.

Fourth Quarter

• Embiid and James checked back in to start the quarter, signaling another heavy workload for the starters. They started the fourth well, with KCP knocking the inbounds pass off a Cav to force a turnover, leading to a Maxey basket. Cleveland responded with a bucket, but Embiid was able to kick to an open KCP for a three and LeBron got to the line. After missing a three that would have tied it, LeBron missed a gamble on a backcourt steal, allowing Harden to walk into an open three to push the lead back to six.
• Coming out of the timeout, Embiid drew an and-1 from a post up. He got another bucket in the post getting Harden switched onto him, then Maxey hit him with a pocket pass for a jumper that gave the Sixers their first lead of the night. Nurse used the dead ball stoppage to get Bona in there to give Embiid a quick breather.
• This was a heated game, but it was still surprising to see Maxey and Harden push and shove each other around a little bit. The two have spoken glowingly about each other since no longer being teammates, but they got heated at each other in this one.
• Something the Sixers haven’t really seen so far in the regular season is Brown taking over for stretches of a time, but he did just that once Embiid checked out of the game. He gave them three straight baskets to push the lead to seven with the big fella on the bench.

• Coming out of the timeout, Brown continued the intensity, ripping the ball away from Allen enough to force a jump ball. The Cavs won it, but Mitchell’s three went in and out. An errant pass on their next possession allowed Maxey to run out for a fast break layup. The Cavs got that basket back before the Sixers called timeout to bring Embiid and James back into the game with three and a half to go.
• A great challenge by Nurse late, even if Embiid and James talked him into it, to get Embiid’s fifth foul taken off the board with just over three minutes left. The Sixers next possession ended with a great pass from LeBron to Edgecombe for three, but he missed as the jumper is the one thing Edgecombe has struggled with so far this year. Harden was able to get downhill and draw a foul on the following possession to make it a four-point game.
• Edgecombe made a great offensive rebound on the following possession and might have been fouled on his unsuccessful putback, but didn’t get the call. Mitchell got down the floor quick and got to the line as well, but missed the pair, upgrading everyone’s chicken. Maxey drove for a floater to push it back to six. Brown poked the ball loose from Harden, the ball spun out to LeBron who got it up the floor for a fast break eventually finished by Brown himself, putting the finishing touches on an incredible comeback.

The Dallas Mavericks will try to notch their first win of the season as they travel to Indianapolis to take on the Indiana Pacers Friday night. Opening night didn’t go the Mavericks’ way, as they lost to the Rockets in Houston Wednesday night. The Pacers, meanwhile, opened the season with a win against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Dallas faces a gauntlet in the first month of the season, which could make for a rough record early on. They have the second-strongest schedule in the first month of the season based on winning percentages from last season. It’s jumping straight in the deep end for new head coach Dusty May.

Meanwhile, this will be Tyrese Haliburton’s first non-exhibition game back at Gainbridge Fieldhouse since June 19, 2025 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Dallas should expect him to be focused and itching to have a great game back in front of the Indiana fans.

Here are three things to think about before the game:

Dusty May’s rotations

It’s a long season, and mid-October is super early, but May had some curious rotations in the first half of the Rockets game. May played 10 players in the first quarter alone in game one, and the combinations he used seemed to indicate he was feeling out which groups worked together. There’s nothing particularly wrong with that; again, it’s early. But personally, I’d prefer some outline of a rotation be worked out in the preseason, and then adjust from there.

This season has pretty low stakes, and May probably has some method to the rotation madness. My concern is also probably a reaction to former head coach Jason Kidd using the first two months of the season to play mad scientist with the lineups instead of finding something consistent. But it’s something worth keeping an eye on.

Mavericks have to get back on defense

The Pacers came into this season ready to run. Indiana outscored New Orleans 27-10 on fastbreak points on Wednesday. The Mavericks were outscored 29-17 by the Rockets. Dallas will need to focus on getting back on defense if they don’t want to be torched by Indiana.

One thing Dallas can do to cut down the fastbreak points allowed is by taking better care of the ball. The Mavericks turned the ball over 21 times against the Rockets, which led to 32 points allowed off turnovers. If they’re careless with the rock against the Pacers, it could produce live ball turnovers which will lead to easy fastbreak points.

Side-eye the shooting

Coming into the season, everyone expected the Mavericks to struggle to shoot the ball. The first game of the season didn’t do anything to assuage those doubts. Dallas shot 11-of-37 from behind the arc, and 17-of-26 from the charity stripe. It’s simplistic, but they have to get better outside shooting if they want to be competitive this season. They don’t have to be a great shooting team. That’s probably expecting too much from their personnel. But they do need to be around league average if they want to push to the higher range of their season’s success. One game isn’t enough of a sample size to be truly concerned, but it’s worth keeping an eye on.

How to watch

The game tips off at 6 p.m. CDT on KFAA-TV Channel 29, Mavs TV, and NBA League Pass.

The Philadelphia 76ers are surging in the second half of their matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

With 3:59 on the clock in the third quarter, LeBron James leaped up for a rebound after Jarrett Allen missed a free throw and smacked his teammate, VJ Edgecombe, in the nose with his elbow. Edgecombe immediately grabbed his face and blood dripped onto his hand.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope helped direct Edgecombe to the sideline, where a trainer took a white towel and held it up to Edgecombe's nose. Edgecombe stood patiently with his hands on his hips as the trainer continued to treat him. He walked back onto the court with a swab of cotton shoved up his right nostril and clapped as the crowd welcomed him back.

VJ Edgecombe Just Took An Elbow From LeBron James To The Nose.

Damn 💀💀 pic.twitter.com/53k5o0K375

— SM Highlights (@SMHighlights1) October 23, 2026

LeBron gave VJ a bloody nose 🤕

VJ was okay 😮 pic.twitter.com/hiXFU0Tei8

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 23, 2026

James was fouled on the play by Donovan Mitchell and made both free throws to cut down the 76ers' deficit to 80-77. Philadelphia was down by as many as 29 points in the first half.

The game was another chapter in James' career against his hometown team, which he was drafted by and won the 2016 NBA Finals with.

At tipoff, James Harden was booed in his return to the City of Brotherly Love.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: LeBron James gives 76ers teammate VJ Edgecombe bloody nose via accidental elbow

Josh Hart spent five years going at it with Mitchell Robinson in practice. Now, they’re about to do it in a real game, on opposing teams.

Friday night against the Celtics in Boston will be the first time the Knicks face Robinson since he left in free agency.

He signed a three-year, $47.4 million deal — a number the Knicks couldn’t come close to matching under the edict from owner James Dolan to stay under the second apron — to be a new addition to Boston’s starting lineup.

“It’s gonna be the same thing,” Hart said after Knicks practice Thursday. “We’re still gonna be battling for rebounds.”

Hart, who knows the Celtics like to have their center guard the opposing team’s worst shooter — a treatment he’s become accustomed to — is particularly excited for one facet of the matchup.

“They crossmatch a lot, so I’m sure he’ll be guarding me,” Hart said. “When I make a couple, I’m gonna let him know.”

Jokes aside, it will be a special moment for the Knicks to see Robinson, who had been the longest-tenured Knick on their championship roster, having spent the first eight years of his career with the organization.

“It’s bittersweet,” Karl-Anthony Towns said Thursday, “because you love Mitch. We’ve done so much historical things together here. To not see him in a Knicks jersey anymore, obviously, for all of us, we’re a family unit. You guys are around us every day; you know how much we care about each other, each other’s families, and to not be able to have him with us on this journey after that amazing journey we went through is obviously bittersweet. But it’s gonna be amazing to be able to see our brother, to hug him, be able to show him some love and to obviously compete playing basketball, like we love to do.”

Robinson’s impact extended off the court for the Knicks. He was one of the biggest personalities in the locker room.

“It’s definitely different [without him],” Hart said. “Obviously, that’s someone who’s had a big presence here, big presence in the locker room. It’s different. No one else listens to country [music] but me, so that’s tough in the weight room. The lack of his presence is obviously felt a little bit. That’s why it’s a new team.”

For his own part, Robinson did not exactly wax poetic about facing the Knicks.

“It doesn’t matter that I’m playing my former team,” Robinson said. “It’s more so trying to bounce back from what happened two nights ago. At the end of the day, it’s basketball; it’s a business. You gotta play the team just like you play any other team.”

Robinson struggled in the Celtics’ season-opening loss to the Pistons on Tuesday, recording four points and three rebounds in 18 minutes.

“I played like ass,” Robinson said. “It’s kind of just straightforward.”

He was too fed up with his performance to watch the Knicks’ championship ceremony.

“I was still stuck in my head from last game,” Robinson said. “I’m proud of those guys, obviously; I was a part of it. I just didn’t really want to watch it.”

Robinson is expected to receive his ring, accompanied by a tribute video, when he returns to MSG for the Knicks-Celtics game on March 14.

The Knicks certainly know better than anyone else what to expect from Robinson, with his offensive rebounding prowess and ability to guard all positions on the court. The same goes, of course, for his brutal free-throw shooting, which became a recurring storyline in recent years. Opposing teams, particularly in the playoffs, often utilized Hack-a-Mitch to exploit his weakness.

Will the Knicks now flip the script and use it on him?

“Maybe,” head coach Mike Brown said. “I think that’s more, just me personally, I’ve always leaned more to do that come playoff time or later in the [regular] season where you’re really trying to game plan and get certain games. Right now, I want to see if we can defend these guys with what we do staple-wise, with what our foundation is.”

It will be weird for Knicks fans to root against Robinson after all the ups and, for most of the beginning of his career, downs he went through with the team.

“At the end of the day,” Brown said, “we want to kick his ass like he probably wants to kick ours.”