Overview
- Philadelphia led by 11 in the fourth quarter before Cleveland closed with a 13-4 run, capped by Evan Mobley’s winning dunk seconds after Tyrese Maxey tied the game with a floater.
- The defeat drops the Sixers to 22-18 and from fifth to seventh in the East, with three straight losses classified as clutch minutes for a 13-12 mark in those situations.
- Maxey finished with 22 points on 9-for-23 shooting, including 2-for-8 from three, as Cleveland’s length and attention limited his rim attempts and late-game efficiency.
- Joel Embiid scored 33, while players pointed to offensive organization and execution in close games, reflected by a sixth-ranked clutch defense and a 17th-ranked clutch offense.
- Nurse leaned into a smaller rotation featuring Quentin Grimes (14 points, seven rebounds, four assists) and Kelly Oubre Jr. (12 points), with Trendon Watford in key stretches, as the Cavs—without Darius Garland—rode Jaylon Tyson’s 39 points on 13-for-17 shooting.