Following a win in Toronto over the Raptors, the Sixers returned to Philadelphia for the first of six at home, and two straight against the Cavaliers.
From the jump, Philadelphia was plagued by sloppy play, headlined by four first-quarter turnovers by Joel Embiid, six total in the quarter.
Despite his ball-control issues and six total turnovers on the night, Embiid also paced the Sixers with 20 points in 25 minutes. The former MVP's earlier night was thanks to a reverse case of old-fashioned load management — in which the game was decided well before the final buzzer, but against the Sixers' favor.
Tyrese Maxey struggled to find his shot throughout the night, making just 5-16 shots from the floor. Paul George had perhaps the best offensive night with 17 points on an efficient 50% shooting night from both the floor, with four rebounds, four assists, and not a single turnover.
The Sixers showed some fight through it all, but unfortunately, there was nothing any Sixer could do on either end of the court to counter the Cavaliers' offensive onslaught.
Donovan Mitchell led all scorers with 35 points, including a 20-point third-quarter performance. Mitchell delivered one of his best performances of the season in this matchup, a reminder of the heights he can reach as an individual.
The Cavaliers as a team shot 20-46 from deep, outscored the Sixers in the paint, and outpaced Philadelphia throughout the evening, one of Nick Nurse's constant points of emphasis.
An absolute flusher of a game, nothing positive truly came of this evening, especially as starting power forward Dominick Barlow left the game shortly into the second half after suffering a back contusion.
The Sixers will hope to flush this game and move on to the next one, though their next opponent won't present any easier an opportunity.
The Sixers will have an opportunity for revenge on Friday, Jan. 16, as they once again will host the Cavaliers. Tip-off is again set for 7:00 p.m.
After the game, head coach Nick Nurse called the upcoming game "a great test" for the Sixers as they look to bounce back.
