Scottie Wilbekin drilled a three-pointer with 1.3 seconds left in the game to help the Sixers overcome a 19-point deficit and beat the Cavaliers, 115-114, on Thursday night at the Wells Fargo Center.
The Sixers won for the first time in two preseason attempts over the Cavaliers, who did not play with stars LeBron James, Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving, J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert.
More importantly, Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel looked a little more settled in their second preseason game together, combining for 22 points against the Cavs.
Okafor scored 12 points for the second straight game. He didn’t shoot as well as he did in his debut, as he converted on 4 of 12 shots with three rebounds in 21 minutes. Noel notched a double-double with 10 points with a game-high 15 rebounds.
Turning point
Cleveland led by 12 points with 4:24 to go in the game, but the Sixers went on a 19-6 run to close it out. With nine seconds remaining and trailing by two points, Jared Cunningham was whistled for an offensive foul while J.P. Tokoto was looking to foul or sneak away with a steal.
After a timeout, Wilbekin inbounded to Richaun Holmes, who handed it off to the point guard for a straightaway three.
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Jerami Grant was the Sixers’ high man, hitting for 19 points on 6 for 10 shooting, including 2 for 5 from three-point range. Coming off the bench, Grant played 25 minutes.
Isaiah Canaan led the Sixers with 13 in the opener on Tuesday and added 16 on 5 for 12 shooting. Canaan scored 10 in the second quarter and had four assists.
Noel led the Sixers with 15 rebounds to go with 10 points to notch his first double-double of the preseason. Robert Covington (12 points) also reached double digits and led the team with six assists.
Cunningham scored 15 of his game-high 31 during the second quarter and hit 13 for 16 from the foul line in the game. NBA Finals stalwart Matthew Dellavedova added 13 points on 6 for 10 shooting with a team-high five assists.
In the yard
One of the great challenges for defenses is to keep opponents in the “yard,” which is the area of the court outside of the paint and inside of the three-point arc. The thought is a shot from the yard is a lower percentage attempt than a three-pointer or a shot from the paint.
The Sixers did a good job of not getting trapped in the yard, taking just three long two-pointers in the second half. Cleveland was forced to take 21 shots in the yard.
Point guard battle
Canaan started for the second straight game and logged 29 minutes and committed just one turnover. Meanwhile, T.J. McConnell made his debut, posting six points on 2 for 5 shooting with four assists and zero turnovers.
On the bench
Wilbekin did not play for the first 46 minutes after getting 21 minutes in Washington on Tuesday. His game-winner was the only shot he attempted. Point guards Pierre Jackson, Kendall Marshall and Tony Wroten remained sidelined as they recover form injuries.
Tokoto, Holmes and Christian Wood also did not see any action until the final two minutes of the game.
The Answer in the house
Allen Iverson attended the game and did a short interview during a break in the first quarter. When Iverson was shown on the scoreboard, the players on the Cavs’ bench — especially James — scanned the seats for a glimpse of Iverson.
Up next
The schedule gets busier for the Sixers starting this weekend, when they travel to Albany, New York for a game against the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday. After the game the Sixers will head to New York City for practice on Sunday and a game against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Monday night.