LeBron's Return to Cleveland Ends in a Cavaliers Win, Hezonja Stands Out

The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 119-95 in an NBA Cup group stage game. LeBron James' return to Ohio, after he signed with Philadelphia instead of returning to Cleveland in the summer, was the main story of the night. However, the Sixers star could not make an impact against his former team.

LeBron played 31 minutes and finished with 8 points. The 41-year-old star shot 3-for-12 from the field and was 0-for-4 from beyond the three-point arc. Cleveland fans booed at times whenever LeBron touched the ball, especially in the first half.

For Cleveland, Donovan Mitchell was the star of the win with 23 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists, while Evan Mobley added 22 points. One of the surprise performances of the night came from Mario Hezonja, who came off the bench. The Croatian player scored 13 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for a double-double. Jarrett Allen did not suit up due to a right knee injury, and Cleveland outrebounded Philadelphia by 14. The home team pushed its lead into double digits at the start of the second quarter and extended it to 25 points in the final period.

For Philadelphia, Jaylen Brown scored 20, VJ Edgecombe 19 and Tyrese Maxey 17. Joel Embiid missed all nine of his field goal attempts and finished with six points from the free throw line. The Sixers shot 36.5 percent from the field and made 10 of 40 attempts from beyond the arc. It was their second loss in their first 10 games of the season, and this result brought them back down to earth.