Sixers’ Late-Game Woes Continue in Loss to Cavaliers: A Familiar Script Playing Out Again
PHILADELPHIA - The 76ers’ season hit another frustrating note Friday night, falling 117-115 to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a game that felt all too familiar for Philly fans. Up by 11 early in the fourth quarter, the Sixers once again couldn’t close the door - a recurring issue that’s quickly becoming the defining theme of their season.
This wasn’t an isolated collapse. It’s part of a troubling pattern.
The Sixers have now dropped games where they held late leads against the Pistons (twice), Bulls (twice), Raptors (twice), and now the Cavs. That’s seven games - at minimum - where they were in control late but couldn’t finish the job.
Flip even half of those and we’re talking about a very different record, and possibly a very different tone around this team.
After the game, Joel Embiid didn’t sugarcoat the frustration.
“We got a long way to go, but we got to close these games,” Embiid said. “We’ve had a lot of games that we probably wish we could take back. I felt like tonight was one of those.”
He’s not wrong. The Sixers led most of the night and looked poised to grab a solid win against a rising Cavs squad.
But then came the fourth quarter - and the unraveling. Cleveland outscored Philly 33-24 in the final frame, fueled by a red-hot 6-for-9 shooting performance from beyond the arc.
Embiid, who had been dominant for much of the game, was held to just two points in the fourth. That’s not a knock on his effort - it’s a credit to the Cavs’ defensive adjustments and a sign of how the Sixers’ offense can stagnate when things tighten up.
Tyrese Maxey, who’s been one of the Sixers’ bright spots this season, echoed Embiid’s sentiments - and added some context that shows just how widespread the issue has been.
“We've had plenty of them,” Maxey said of the blown leads. “I think seven or eight this year, where we just had [the game] in our hands and then slip away.
Two Detroit games up in the fourth quarter, let them slip away. Chicago, same thing.
Two of those games let them slip away, and Toronto as well. Both times.”
It’s not just the losses - it’s how they’re happening. The Sixers aren’t getting blown out.
They’re not being outclassed. They’re putting themselves in position to win and then letting go of the rope.
That’s the kind of trend that can wear on a locker room, especially one with playoff aspirations.
The good news? There’s still time.
The Sixers are 22-18 and nearing the halfway point of the season. Monday’s matchup with the Indiana Pacers will mark game 41, and with 42 still left on the calendar, the opportunity to right the ship is very much alive.
Maxey, ever the optimist, knows that dwelling on the past won’t change the future.
“It’s OK,” he said. “Gotta keep going.
We got 42 more? 42 more games, so can’t dwell in it.”
That’s the mindset they’ll need - but mindset alone won’t be enough. The Sixers have to figure out how to execute down the stretch, how to get stops when it matters, and how to lean on their stars in crunch time. Because if this trend continues, those missed opportunities in January might come back to haunt them in April.