Sixers Fall to 0-5 With 108-102 Loss to Cavs

Report From Philadelphia 76ers

Game Recap: Cavaliers 108, 76ers 102

For the second time in five days, the 76ers (0-5) faced the Cleveland Cavaliers (5-1). Despite a change in venue, both games played out in somewhat similar fashion. On Friday, at Quicken Loans Arena in Ohio, the Sixers held a halftime lead, just as they did Monday at The Center. Again, the third quarter, and in particular LeBron James’ performance in that quarter, proved to be the difference. The four-time MVP took over in the opening moments of the frame, scoring 12 points amidst a critical 14-2 surge that propelled the Cavaliers to a 108-102 victory, their fifth in a row.

The Sixers’ biggest push on Frida, a 13-2 spurt, came at the end of the second quarter, whereas on Monday, their key run occurred in the first. Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor again proved to be bright spots; each delivered 18 points. Noel also posted 12 rebounds, five steals, and two blocks. It was his third double-double. T.J. McConnell – playing in front of family and friends that made the trek from Pittsburgh – established a new career-high by dropping eight points in the first quarter, but the Cavs kept him from scoring for the rest of the evening.

James led the way for the hosts, notching season-highs with 31 points and 13 assists. He scored 18 points in the third quarter alone, and has now generated a double-double in all four games he’s played against the Sixers since returning to the Cavaliers.

Top Moment:

Down the stretch of the opening quarter, the Sixers’ offense had stalled, going without a point for about three and a half minutes. With 46 seconds remaining in the period, Brett Brown brought T.J. McConnell back into the game, and what happened next probably shouldn’t have come as a surprise. Relying on his savvy and hustle, the spunky, big-hearted 6’2” point guard quickly re-energized his squad. He drove the lane, and despite missing a lay-up, drew enough defensive attention to free up Hollis Thompson for a weak-side tip-in. After the Cavs misfired on their next possession, McConnell threw a perfect lob pass to Nerlens Noel, who promptly slammed home an alley-oop jam. Then, on the ensuing in-bounds pass, McConnell stole the ball, and – still in the frontcourt – nailed a 24-foot three-pointer as the horn sounded to bring the first quarter to a dramatic close.

Brett Brown Said – On the progress shown by the Sixers over the course of their first give games
“I was proud of our team. I think we were better than the last time we played [Cleveland]. We were just better longer…We were always going to start slow [this season] because of the nature of injuries in training camp. I see more daylight.”

Of Note:

For the third time in his NBA career, JaKarr Sampson got to play in a true “hometown” game. The second-year pro was born in Cleveland, and spent three high school seasons at St. Vincent – St. Mary, the Akron-based program that also produced LeBron James. Following morning shoot-around, Sampson was all smiles when discussing his latest chance to visit his birth city.

“I feel like I’m much more used to it now,” said Sampson, comparing this trip to the two he made to Cleveland a season ago. “When I first walked into this arena last year, I was like, ‘Man, this is crazy.’ I’m here. Any kid’s dream is to play in the gym he grew up [watching]. I watched the Cavs play since I was little.”

Sampson estimated he only had to track down about a dozen tickets for Friday’s game, compared to the 60-odd requests he got back in January for his first Cleveland appearance. He connected on his first two shots of the night, and finished with four points.

The Sixers canned a season-high 10 three-point field goals on Friday, converting 43.5 percent of their attempts from the perimeter, also a season-best figure. Isaiah Canaan, utilized more at shooting guard than he had been in his first four outings, drilled three of his five tries from beyond the arch, tallying 17 points.

Despite not currently being available to start the season, injured forward Carl Landry is still making valuable use of his time with the Sixers. He’s accompanied the team on both of its road trips so far, and, with eight years on his NBA resume, has served as a helpful resource for the young big men on the Sixers’ roster.
“I just think [Landry’s] a veteran that acts like a veteran and talks like a veteran and shares stories like a veteran,” said Brett Brown. A year ago, seasoned pros Luc Mbah-a-Moute and Jason Richardson acted as mentors on a relatively young Sixers squad.

“He’s the only veteran we have,” said Brown. “He has stories to tell to the bigs, and he does it in his own unassuming way.”

Next Up:

It’ll be a quick turnaround for the Sixers, going up against the Orlando Magic (2-4) on Saturday in a 7:00 PM EST match-up at The Center. It’s the Sixers’ first back-to-back of the season. Orlando, however, will be playing for a second straight night as well, following a 92-87 home upset of the Toronto Raptors. Before Friday, they Raptors hadn’t lost. In hiring Scott Skiles this off-season, the Magic are now led by one of their own; the former first round pick suited up for Orlando from 1989 through 1994. Center Nik Vucevic, originally a Sixers’ draft choice, will likely miss the game with a right knee bruise. Victor Oladipo, taken second overall in the 2013 NBA Draft, carried averages of 16.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 4.6 assists into the weekend.