76ers Just Proved Why This Team Is Different From Years Past

The Philadelphia 76ers had the biggest comeback in the play clock era. 

The 76ers trailed the Cleveland Cavaliers by 29 points at the half before coming all the way back to win 114-106. 

This game came down to defensive stops and finishing on the offensive end. This was a team who many expected offensive explosions and defensive breakdowns. Well, this time it was the defense that aided in the biggest comeback in 76ers history. This was something the 76ers talked about during training camp.  But even before training camp, it was something that needed to be addressed.

That’s why they went and acquired Jaylen Brown and LeBron James. Their additions are paying dividends, and it’s only been two games into the season. Head coach Nick Nurse was one of many who believed everything starts on the defensive end. In order for those words to matter, there had to be results shown on the court. This Cleveland game proved that.

The players believed that this comeback was always possible. Embiid called it a “top-three moment” since he’s been a 76er. This just goes to show how important a win is to this team. On top of that, this team doesn’t have a “lay down” mentality. This is what LeBron James described the team as when asked about their historic comeback. 

That mentality can take this 76ers group as far as they want to go. When you see a team go down this bad, especially against a conference opponent, it’s easy to write them off and group them as a team that won’t go far. This team silenced every person who would doubt that they could be something special. When you get a win like this, it’s more than just a team’s morale. It gives them the confidence to know they are never out of a game.

There were a few players who took on the role of boggling down defensively, two of which were VJ Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey. While Edgecombe is known for playing good defense, Maxey showed that he can be counted on in a tough spot. Macey contributed two steals to go along with his team's high 32 points. 

James was the mastermind behind it all when he continued his season as the brains of the operation. It started with his steal early in the third quarter and continued as he helped in trap situations as well as close-out defense. 

All the pieces came together at just the right time for this 76ers team to win. This is what the front office was hoping for when they made these strategic moves to bring in players who could help this franchise win. 

Winning is everything, but to win and achieve the biggest comeback in the shot clock era is something else.