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76ers Rally From 29 Down to Beat Cavaliers 114-106

By Drooid · Oct 29, 2026 · How we work

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Summary

Philadelphia 76ers erased a 29-point deficit to beat Cleveland Cavaliers 114-106, a franchise-record comeback.
Tyrese Maxey scored 32 points in the second-half surge.
Joel Embiid added 24 points in the comeback.
Philadelphia outscored Cleveland 69-37 in the second half, fueling the historic turnaround.
Coach Nick Nurse dismissed President Donald Trump’s anthem criticism as “outside noise”.

Summary

LeBron James made a golf-swing gesture during the national anthem before his 76ers debut on Oct 20.
Charles Barkley called James’s gesture disrespectful during a SiriusXM NBA Radio interview.
President Donald Trump demanded James apologize to “Great American Warriors” on Oct 22, calling him a “total disgrace.”
James replied “It’s a slow news day at the office,” shrugging off the controversy.

History

On October 16 1968, after Tommie Smith set a 19.83-second world record and John Carlos won bronze, the two raised black-gloved fists during the U.S. anthem, prompting IOC president Avery Brundage to expel them amid the civil-rights upheaval following Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination. Today, LeBron James’s NBA-anthem gesture and Donald Trump’s demand for an apology echo that 1968 sports-politics clash.

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On October 16 1968, after Tommie Smith set a 19.83-second world record and John Carlos won bronze, the two raised black-gloved fists during the U.S. anthem, prompting IOC president Avery Brundage to expel them amid the civil-rights upheaval following Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination. Today, LeBron James’s NBA-anthem gesture and Donald Trump’s demand for an apology echo that 1968 sports-politics clash.

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