LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — The Philadelphia 76ers erased a 29-point deficit to stun the Cleveland Cavaliers 114-106 on Thursday, in NBA superstar LeBron James’ first home game since landing in Philly as a free agent.

Tyrese Maxey scored 32 points and Joel Embiid added 24, including a jump shot with 6:54 left to play that gave the Sixers their first lead of the night — one they wouldn’t relinquish on the way to an epic comeback.

Former Celtics star Jaylen Brown, the Sixers’ other big off-season acquisition, scored 21 points and pulled down eight rebounds while four-time NBA champion James added 17 points, 10 rebounds and five assists to help the 76ers author their biggest comeback of the play-by-play era that started in 1996.

It was also the biggest comeback of James’ storied career. The league’s all-time leading scorer called it a good win — but not a position he wants to be in often.

“You don’t want to rely on that,” he said. “I think it’s great to know [that] deep down we’re not going to have that quit mentality. You never want to look around and say guys gave up.

“But you don’t want to put yourself in too many of those situations.”

Cleveland, disappointed not to land hometown hero James after he announced he was leaving the Los Angeles Lakers following eight seasons, appeared to be on a mission to show him what he missed.

Donovan Mitchell scored 22 of his 32 points in the first half as the Cavs seized control against a 76ers team struggling to find a rhythm and protect the ball.

Philadelphia centre Joel Embiid looked creaky and James had five of the Sixers’ 15 first-half turnovers, which led to 22 Cavs points and provoked boos from Philly fans whose hopes of a title run have been raised by the arrivals of James and Brown.

But the boos turned to raucous cheers as the re-energised 76ers opened the third quarter on an 11-0 run. They cut the lead to single digits on back-to-back baskets from Maxey that pulled them within 80-73.

The Cavs were struggling to regroup. Maxey reduced the deficit to two points with a running, finger roll layup and 2:33 left in the third, before Cleveland reeled off six straight points to take a 90-82 lead into the fourth quarter.

But the 76ers, who beat reigning champions New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, kept coming. They outscored the Cavaliers 60-37 in the second half, clamping down defensively and giving up just two turnovers.

Evan Mobley scored 18 points for Cleveland but had just three in the second half. Jarrett Allen scored 14 but was held scoreless after the break.

“We stayed together, that’s the main thing,” Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe said. “When it got worse we could have given up [but] we didn’t. It’s an early season test, early season adversity, and we overcame it.”

In Oklahoma City, the Thunder pulled away late for a 96-84 victory over the Denver Nuggets, despite a rough shooting night for two-time reigning Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who saw his streak of games with at least 20 points end at 141.

Gilgeous-Alexander missed all seven of his first-half shots and was just two-of-13 from the floor through three quarters. Nevertheless, Oklahoma City, led by Jalen Williams’ game-high 21 points, took a 70-64 lead into the fourth quarter.

Gilgeous-Alexander connected on four of his six attempts for 10 points in the final frame for a respectable total of 17 points — his first regular season contest with less than 20 since October 30, 2024, when he scored 18 against San Antonio.

Denver’s three-time Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic also had a quiet night, connecting on only five of 19 attempts for 13 points with seven rebounds and five assists. Aaron Gordon led the Nuggets with 20 points.