Sixers deliver down stretch to defeat Cavaliers and end seven-game losing streak

Gabriela Carroll, The Philadelphia Inquirer on Jan 24, 2025

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PHILADELPHIA — Pregame, Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson was asked about his team’s penchant to go on 10-0 runs.

“It demoralizes teams when you go on a run like that,” Atkinson said. “You can feel them deflating.”

On Friday, the Sixers were finally the team to deliver a deflating run of their own — ripping off a 13-0 run in the fourth quarter to bury the NBA’s best team and snap a seven-game losing streak with a 132-129 win.

Guerschon Yabusele started the Sixers off with a 3 to open the game, and from there, the shots just kept falling. Given how the season has started off, the Sixers were due for some luck — and they got it from 3-point range on Friday.

In the first half, the Sixers shot 60% from 3, going 12 for 20 from deep — and that includes a desperation heave from Tyrese Maxey (29 points, seven assists) at the buzzer. Maxey went 4 for 6 from 3-point range in the first half, posting 19 points to lead all scorers in the first half.

Pessimistic Sixer fans went into the second half already expecting the 3-point shooting to regress, and early on, it looked like that was coming, with Maxey missing his first two attempts from beyond the arc and Kelly Oubre Jr. missing his first. But as the Cavs punched, separating themselves by as many as eight points early in the quarter, Nurse called a timeout to regroup, and the Sixers punched back.

The first half wasn’t Paul George’s best. He turned the ball over four times and started 1 for 6 from the field. But in the third quarter, George (30 points) elevated his game — going 3 for 4 from beyond the arc and 4 for 5 overall for 14 points — and kept the Sixers in it, alongside Oubre Jr., who ended the quarter with eight points, two assists and four rebounds. He even received a few scattered “M-V-P” chants from the crowd near the end of the fourth quarter.

The Sixers kept punching back — and you could feel the Wells Fargo Center crowd start to believe in this Sixers team again.

The Sixers put together one of their most impressive offensive showings in a while, but the Cavs, at 36-8, are tied with the Oklahoma City Thunder for the best record in basketball for a reason. Recently named All-Star starter Donovan Mitchell scored 37 points, but Ty Jerome was a sparkcplug off the bench with a career-high 33 points, going 8 for 8 from 3 and 11 for 14 from the field.

Jerome’s final bucket was his biggest as he hit a corner 3 to bring the Cavs within one with 11.5 seconds to play. But Maxey sunk two critical free throws — and Jerome threw the ball straight into the stands on the ensuing inbounds possession. Maxey gathered two more free throws before Mitchell hit another 3 to bring the Cavs within two with 1.3 seconds left.

Oubre fouled out with just over two minutes left to play after scoring 22 points in 39 minutes. But rookie Justin Edwards stepped in for critical defensive minutes down the stretch, and showed once again that he belongs. Pregame, Nick Nurse praised Edwards’ feel for the game, and his ability to put himself in the right positions to be successful. On Friday, he showed off his shooting talent with a 15-point, six-rebound performance. Edwards also sunk a critical free throw late in the fourth quarter to secure the win.

With an injury list that grows by the day, the Sixers received production from everywhere in their lineup and had multiple players deliver down the stretch.