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Cavaliers rout 76ers 119-95 as LeBron James is held to 8 points in Cleveland return

Cleveland, OH • November 6, 2026 • By Press Pass USA

A packed basketball arena at night in Cleveland, with the crowd in wine and gold cheering during a game

Editorial illustration — Press Pass USA

Donovan Mitchell scored 23 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers rolled to a 119-95 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in an NBA Cup group stage game Friday night at Rocket Arena, holding LeBron James to eight points in his first game in Cleveland as a 76er.

James, the Akron native who signed with Philadelphia in the offseason instead of returning to Cleveland for a third stint, shot 3 of 12 from the field — including 0 for 4 on 3-pointers — in 31 minutes, and committed six turnovers. He received a warm reception when he was introduced last among the 76ers' starters, then a smattering of boos from Cavaliers fans every time he touched the ball in the first half. He left the game with 3:54 remaining.

It was only the 10th time in his 24-year career that James has scored in single digits in a regular-season game, and it snapped his streak of scoring at least 10 points in 396 consecutive regular-season games in Cleveland. His NBA-record run of 1,297 straight regular-season games with at least 10 points had already ended last season, on Dec. 4, 2025, in the Los Angeles Lakers' win at Toronto.

"At the end of the day, nothing can get worse than Dec. 2, 2010, from a reception standpoint," James said, according to ESPN — a reference to his first game back in Cleveland as a member of the Miami Heat.

Evan Mobley added 22 points for the Cavaliers, who bounced back after two losses to Oklahoma City. Mitchell also had seven rebounds and eight assists in 33 minutes. Cleveland led most of the game, taking a 46-30 advantage three minutes into the second quarter on an alley-oop dunk by Mobley, and stretched its biggest lead to 25 points in the fourth quarter. The Cavaliers out-rebounded the 76ers by 14 despite center Jarrett Allen being sidelined with a bruised right knee; Mario Hezonja had 13 points and 10 rebounds off the bench, and Peyton Watson grabbed nine boards.

It was a rough night all around for Philadelphia, which lost for only the second time in 10 games this season. The 76ers shot 36.5% from the field, including 10 of 40 on 3-pointers. Jaylen Brown led Philadelphia with 20 points, VJ Edgecombe scored 19 and Tyrese Maxey had 17, while James Harden scored 17 for Cleveland. Joel Embiid missed all nine of his shots from the field, though he made all six of his free throws. The loss snapped the 76ers' five-game winning streak and dropped the team that came in with the NBA's best record to 8-2.

The Cavaliers host the New York Knicks on Saturday night. The 76ers visit the Chicago Bulls on Sunday, and Philadelphia returns to Cleveland on March 1.

Sources: The Associated Press (Joe Reedy), "Cavaliers beat 76ers as LeBron James is held to eight points in return to Cleveland" (Nov. 7, 2026); USA Today, "LeBron James gets warm welcome in Cleveland before Cavaliers rout 76ers" (Nov. 6, 2026); The Associated Press (Joe Reedy), "LeBron James has a rough return to Cleveland with only his 10th regular-season single-digit game" (Nov. 7, 2026).