A very ugly game in Cleveland closes as a 118-94 loss for the 76ers, taking their first L of the season on the second half of their first back-to-back of the year. Joel Embiid sat out tonight with back soreness, but that can be chalked up to rest and it showed how much they needed him tonight.

After doing a great job taking care of the ball last night against the Knicks, the Sixers were brutally careless tonight with 21 turnovers and giving up 11 offensive rebounds. Given that Embiid was out tonight, Dwight Howard got the start but was caught up in foul trouble, causing Tony Bradley to get extended minutes, which proved to be ineffective for the night. These issues allowed for Cleveland’s plethora of big men to feast on the offensive boards, and give the Sixers offense and defense fits throughout the game.

Outhustled and outsized tonight, the Sixers need to leave this game against Cleveland in the rearview. Game 3 of this season is definitely not the end all be all of the year. This roster is still figuring out how to play with each other, the coaching staff is still learning how to use these players, and playing without your best player is never easy. So, to everyone losing it tonight, pump the brakes, everything is going to be okay.

Tobias Harris quietly led the Sixers with 16 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists, while Ben Simmons added 15 points. Andre Drummond took charge for the Cavaliers on both ends, giving them 24 points and 14 rebounds, and Collin Sexton continued playing well as he scored 22 points to go along with 3 assists. Small side bar, Dakota Mathias looked good in his short stint tonight, drilling a few jumpers, making a couple nice passes, totaling 8 points and 2 assists in only 7 minutes of play.

The Sixers return home on Wednesday night to play Toronto, expected to be at full strength against the Eastern Conference rival.

Mandatory Credit: USA Today