Sixers
Instant Observations: 76ers Get Wild Win Over Cavaliers Behind Strong Nights from Maxey, George

Tyrese Maxey and Paul George led the way for the Philadelphia 76ers in their 132-129 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night.
Maxey finished with 29 points, seven assists, two steals and two blocks. George totaled 30 points, five rebounds and three assists. Kelly Oubre Jr. filled up the stat sheet with 22 points, 13 rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Joel Embiid (left knee injury management), Caleb Martin (right hip sprain), Jared McCain (left knee meniscus surgery), KJ Martin (left foot stress reaction), Andre Drummond (left toe injury recovery) and Kyle Lowry (right hip sprain) are all out of the lineup for the Sixers. Head coach Nick Nurse, speaking to reporters before the game via Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports, confirmed Embiid will remain out on Saturday against the Chicago Bulls.
Donovan Mitchell finished with 37 points, seven assists and three steals. Ty Jerome added 33 points while knocking down all eight of his attempts from 3-point range. Darius Garland totaled 26 points and seven assists. The Cavaliers were without Evan Mobley (right calf strain), Caris LeVert (right wrist sprain) and Isaac Okoro (right shoulder AC joint sprain).
Here are some instant observations from the Sixers’ wild win over the Cavaliers:
Likes:
– One of the few remaining joys of what has been a dumpster fire of a season is the play of Maxey. He had an excellent performance on both ends of the floor against the Cavaliers. The 24-year old opened up the game on a heater, scoring eight points in the first five minutes of action. Six of those points came on a pair of 3-pointers, an encouraging sign considering his season-long struggles from beyond the arc. Maxey also continued to attempt to expand his game offensively, particularly by mixing in more mid-range jumpers. Adding the mid-range game into his arsenal will make Maxey a much more versatile and dangerous scorer.
After his hot start to the game, Cleveland geared their defense around slowing Maxey down. Despite the extra attention, he still managed to continue to produce at a high level. In addition to his impact as a scorer, Maxey put together another efficient game running the Sixers’ offense. He has struggled on that front at times this season, but his playmaking has taken a step up in recent games.
In addition to his offensive production, Maxey continues to make major strides as a defender.Perhaps the biggest takeaway from Maxey’s play this season has been the major strides he took as a defender. He does a great job playing with active hands, and it showed against Cleveland. Maxey picked up a couple of early steals simply by reaching into driving lanes and playing disruptive defense. It took him just under half of a season to set a new career-high in total steals. The growth he has shown defensively this season is one of the biggest positives to take away from what has been a disappointing season for the Sixers.
– It was a tale of two halves for George. He was well on his way to another quiet, inefficient night after scoring nine points and committing four turnovers in the first half. One of those turnovers came on a pass across the court that sailed multiple rows into the stands.
However, the veteran forward flipped a switch and carried the Sixers’ offense in the second half. George carved up Cleveland’s defense, particularly from beyond the arc. After getting hot from 3-point range, George began to also find some success driving in towards the basket. He scored 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting in the third quarter.
His finest shot of the night came in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. With Jarrett Allen’s hand in his face, George canned a step-back 3-pointer to extend the Sixers’ lead to four points.
.@Yg_Trece 28 POINTS + COUNTING. pic.twitter.com/SyGUMgvTJl
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) January 25, 2025
While his performance against Cleveland is an encouraging sign, it needs to become the norm for him moving forward. George has far too often played inefficient basketball while showing no urgency to step up and carry the Sixers’ offense. Moments like the second half have been few and far between for George this season. The nine-time All-Star has largely disappointed after signing a mammoth $211 million contract this past offseason. He was averaging a meager 17.0 points per game heading into this contest. George’s performance against the Cavaliers is a reminder he is still more than capable of playing at a high level offensively.
– If the Sixers are going to stand any chance at turning their season around, it will require multiple players stepping up. Oubre, who has had a quiet season, answered the call with his best game of the season. He played with a ton of energy, which can be chaotic at times but when controlled can lead to some massive production. Oubre crashed the glass hard, grabbing seven offensive rebounds and cashing in multiple times for second-chance points. The lone blemish on his performance unfortunately was getting into foul trouble. He fouled out with 2:13 remaining after committing an offensive foul while attempting to drive to the basket.
Oubre was not the lone Sixers role player who had an exceptional night. Guerschon Yabusele continued his excellent season, totaling 12 points and 13 rebounds. Eric Gordon shot the lights out, finishing with 15 points while making all four of his attempts from beyond the arc.
– With each passing game, Justin Edwards continues to solidify himself at the NBA level. He provided a nice spark for the Sixers off the bench, knocking down a couple of 3-pointers and crashing the offensive glass hard. Edwards finished with 15 points, six rebounds, two steals and a block. The Sixers seem to have really found a hidden gem when they signed Edwards as an undrafted free agent this past offseason.
– The Sixers shot a ridiculous 50.6% from the field and 53.8% from 3-point range. Philadelphia set season highs in points, made 3-pointers (21) and 3-point percentage. If only they could always shoot at this high of a level.
Dislikes:
– The Sixers have largely been a solid defensive team, at least in the half-court, this season. That was not at all the case against the Cavaliers. Outside of creating a few turnovers, the Sixers defense was abysmal. Cleveland carved them up like a knife going through butter. It did not matter whether it was on drives to the basket or from beyond the arc. Even when the Sixers managed to string together a solid defensive possession, Cleveland swung the ball around and eventually found a decent shot. Mitchell and Jerome lit up the scoreboard, particularly from beyond the arc.
Outside of their poor defense, there was not much else to complain about from this contest.