The Philadelphia 76ers had a rough night in Cleveland, and the final score told the story: a 110-90 loss in an NBA Cup Group Stage game on Friday night. Philadelphia had beaten the Cavaliers earlier this season, but this one belonged to Cleveland from the start.
There were a couple of bright spots buried in the loss, though not nearly enough to change the mood. VJ Edgecombe was the one Sixer who looked ready to go in the first half, and he kept Philadelphia from getting buried even as the rest of the starters struggled around him.
He hit seven of nine shots overall in the opening half, including three of four from deep, and poured in 17 points before the break. He also brought energy on the defensive end, collecting three steals in the first 24 minutes.
By the end of the night, his scoring had cooled off, but he still finished with 19 points and earned the lone true “stud” label from the game.
Jabari Walker also made the most of his chance. With Adem Bona out because of neck soreness, Walker saw more court time and gave the Sixers something useful.
He finished with eight points and five rebounds in 17 minutes, including two offensive boards. It wasn’t a flashy outing, but it was the kind of steady production that can matter when a team is searching for answers.
The other side of the ledger was much uglier. Joel Embiid had a night he’d probably like to forget, and maybe one of the roughest of his career.
He looked slow early, never found a rhythm, and at times seemed flat. In 25 minutes, he managed just six points and seven rebounds while going 0-for-9 from the field.
It was only the second time in his career that he failed to make a basket. He also had trouble defensively against Evan Mobley, which only added to the frustration.
Dean Wade didn’t give Cleveland much of anything in his first game against his former team. The Sixers forward played 21 minutes, missed all four of his shots, and finished scoreless.
He did chip in five rebounds, but he also picked up four fouls. His role isn’t built around scoring, but Philadelphia could have used more from him on that end.
LeBron James also had a night that fell well short of his standard in a 76ers uniform. He coughed it up six times, then finished with just eight points, seven rebounds and three assists.
It was only the 10th regular-season game of his career in which he scored fewer than 10 points. On this night, nothing really clicked, and the stat line reflected it.
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Bulls Suddenly Face Two Rotation Questions Against Philly
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