Sixers run out of gas, drop second straight in Cleveland

The Philadelphia 76ers looked like a team running on fumes in Cleveland. Playing their second game in as many nights, the Sixers fell 132-121 to the Cavaliers to close out a winless back-to-back. They erased a 17-point deficit in the first half but couldn’t keep pace once the Cavs turned it on after halftime.

Tyrese Maxey finished with 27 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds, while Quentin Grimes matched him with 27 of his own. Andre Drummond had 13 points and 13 rebounds, and Trendon Watford added 16 points and six assists off the bench. Donovan Mitchell was unstoppable for Cleveland, pouring in 46 points on 15-for-21 shooting.

pull up.

knock down. pic.twitter.com/Vj7Mn19AiJ

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) November 6, 2025

A Rough Start, No Bounce-Back in Sight

The Sixers looked completely lifeless to start the game. Cleveland scored the first 13 points, capitalizing on turnovers and sloppy possessions. Maxey had three early giveaways, and the team’s legs looked shot before the first timeout.

It was the same energy they ended Tuesday’s collapse against the Bulls with, just carried over 24 hours later. Fatigue was visible on every possession. Even simple entry passes were an adventure, and the Cavs jumped all over them in transition. By the time Nick Nurse called for reinforcements, Philadelphia was already chasing the game.

Watford’s Steady Hand

If there was one bright spot in this game, it was Trendon Watford. He ran the second unit like a pro and looked completely comfortable as the team’s lead ball handler while Maxey sat. Watford used his size and patience to slice through the defense and consistently made the right reads.

He finished 5-for-9 from the floor and hit all four of his free throws. His steady play and ability to initiate offense gave the Sixers life when they looked dead in the water. Andre Drummond also gave strong minutes off the bench, cleaning up the glass and scoring on pure effort.

Drummond’s presence might actually force Adem Bona to raise his game, because right now Drummond looks like the clear backup center. He provided energy and toughness in the paint while the starters were still trying to wake up.

The First Edgecombe Clunker

VJ Edgecombe hit his first real wall in the NBA. He shot 3-for-14 and struggled to get anything going against Cleveland’s length and defensive pressure. His jumper wasn’t falling, and when that happens, he tends to press. The rookie looked visibly frustrated as the misses piled up and shifted into facilitator mode for most of the second half.

This kind of night was bound to happen. Edgecombe’s shooting numbers were bound to cool off, and against a team that thrives at cutting off driving lanes, he had nowhere to go. Still, it’s part of the learning curve. He needs to keep shooting through slumps instead of fading into the background.

Nick Nurse…?

Nick Nurse didn’t do himself any favors in this one. It made no sense to put Tyrese Maxey and the other starters back on the floor late in the fourth quarter when the Sixers were already down 18. The game was over, and Maxey looked exhausted. Nurse had a chance to buy his starters some rest, but instead, he burned them out in a lost cause.

For a team already missing Joel Embiid, Paul George, Jared McCain, and Dominick Barlow, the last thing they needed was extra mileage on their stars. It’s been a rough stretch of late-game decisions for Nurse, and it’s starting to show.

Back-to-Back Games Stink

The Sixers are now 5-3 after a back-to-back that exposed their fatigue and flaws. Their defensive effort disappeared in the second half as the Cavs’ lead ballooned to 20 points. Even with late buckets from Grimes and Oubre, the game was never really in doubt.

At this point, back-to-backs feel like scheduled losses for this team. Fatigue, sloppy execution, and poor rotations keep biting them. The effort from Drummond and Watford was encouraging, but relying on bench players to save you every night is not sustainable.

Maxey’s stat line was strong again, but the turnovers and visible frustration hinted at a player carrying too much of the load. The Sixers will get a short break before hosting the Raptors and Pistons this weekend. They’ll need to find a way to play a full 48 minutes—or risk turning promising starts into familiar second-half collapses.

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