Charles Barkley calls Joel Embiid a ‘fourth option,’ new arena lighting, and more from Sixers-Cavs broadcast
The Sixers overcame a 29-point first-half deficit to beat Cleveland with Tyrese Maxey leading the way. Here's the commentary you may have missed from the thrilling win.
With the game seemingly out of reach, Jaylen Brown threw down an emphatic dunk. Theatrics like that seldom take place in the NBA, but comebacks like the Sixers completed on Thursday don’t happen every night.
The team overcame a 29-point deficit to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers, 114-106. In LeBron James’ first home game in a Sixers uniform, the player who enticed James to pick Philadelphia showed out. Tyrese Maxey scored a game-high 32 points as every Sixers starter scored in double figures.
If you were in South Philly or turned the game off at halftime, here’s what you may have missed from Thursday’s ESPN broadcast:
» READ MORE: Sixers beat Cavaliers, 114-106, after trailing by 29 points in wild home opener
“Are we gonna fight?”
In the third quarter, the Sixers cut a 24-point halftime deficit to just eight points. Before the fourth quarter began, ESPN sideline reporter Lisa Salters, a King of Prussia native, caught up with Maxey.
“I know we played a lot harder,” Maxey said. “Didn’t turn the ball over. When we turned the ball over, they got out. … They got easy buckets. Once we settled in and got what we wanted offensively, our defense came off.”
“We’re gonna learn about what kinda team we are right now,” he added. “Right now, game two. Are we gonna lay down, roll over, and just let them win? Or are we gonna fight?”
They fought. Behind a 15-0 run, the Sixers took the lead and ran with it.. Maxey heard a serenade of “MVP” chants while shooting the game-clinching free throws.
‘Booing Harden’
On the Cavaliers’ first few possessions, Sixers fans let James Harden hear it. Is booing the former Sixer fair? ESPN color commentator and former NBA forward Richard Jefferson didn’t think so.
“I understand that they’re booing James Harden,” Jefferson said. “But understand that James Harden was very important to building this current Philadelphia 76ers team, so they should be serious. … I’m just saying, James Harden, when they moved on from him, obviously it gave them the pieces and the opportunity to build what roster they have right now.”
» READ MORE: Fans share mixed feelings about LeBron James ahead of his Sixers home debut: ‘He’s a special basketball player’
The booing did not surprise Tim Legler, another part of ESPN’s three-man booth. Legler, a La Salle graduate, knows how Philadelphia welcomes back players that did not work out.
“Any All-Star player that put a Sixers uniform on at some point along the way and then comes back as an opposing player is going to get the same treatment,” Legler said. “Because they’re so hungry for a championship. They’ve had a lot of guys come through here that they thought could deliver upon that, so that’s why Harden’s going to hear it.”
The boo birds didn’t go away. At halftime, fans booed the halftime show to ESPN play-by-play announcer Mike Breen’s delight.
‘Inside the NBA’ offers takes
On Inside the NBA, Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal have criticized Joel Embiid through the years. Now, with a revamped roster, the pressure is on for the Sixers’ big man, according to Barkley and O’Neal.
“They have to win a championship,” O’Neal, a four-time NBA champion, said before the game. “You know, based on who they brought in. … They have all the pieces. They got a 1-2-3 punch. We can talk about Joel Embiid needing to take a step down. I disagree with that. LeBron’s gonna keep everybody involved. Tyrese Maxey has to be aggressive. Jaylen Brown has something to prove. Joel Embiid got to play. … I’m looking for at least 25 [points] and 10 [rebounds].”
Added Barkley: “I think the most important player is Embiid for two reasons. Number one, he’s the only size they got and he’s going to play. He’s going to have to sacrifice. … They’re not going to walk the ball up and down the court and give him the ball. He’s going to play defense. He got to be their number one defender, rim protector. He’s got to be their best rebounder.”
However, Barkley found a point he disagreed with O’Neal on.
“He got zero chance to get 25 [points] because he’s the fourth option on the team,” Barkley said. “No disrespect. He’s been a heck of a player, but on this team, there’s no way you’re going to get the ball to wait.
By halftime, Barkley was ready to throw in the towel on the Sixers’ season with them trailing the Cavaliers 69-45 and accumulating 13 turnovers..
“Let’s put a hold on that championship parade down Broad Street,” Barkley said.
New lighting
Some eagle-eyed Sixers fans may have noticed that the team’s home court looked a little brighter than usual. No, this is not a new filter ESPN is trying out. Xfinity Mobile Arena got a new lighting rig, according to the Sixers.
“This season, fans will see an enhanced game presentation experience through a new arena-wide lighting system that transforms the whole venue,” the team wrote said via release on Thursday. “Paired with theatrical lighting focused on the court and PixMob lighting installed throughout the seating bowl, the technology creates a more immersive atmosphere for player introductions and key game moments.”
Some Sixers fans aren’t taking the change well. Some pointed out moments where shadows could be seen on the court:
