Philadelphia erased a 29-point first-half deficit to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 114-106 in its regular-season home opener on Thursday.
The rally marked the largest comeback of LeBron James' 24-year NBA career.
Tyrese Maxey paced the 76ers with 32 points and six assists, while Joel Embiid added 24 points and seven rebounds.
Jaylen Brown contributed 21 points and eight rebounds, and James finished with 17 points, nine rebounds, five assists and three steals.
A comeback that defied NBA history
The result ran against long-standing league trends.
According to ESPN, teams entering season openers with halftime leads of at least 20 points had gone 65-0 since the shot-clock era began in 1954-55.
Cleveland had also won all 155 previous games in which it held a 29-point lead, while Philadelphia had lost all 156 games in which it faced such a deficit.
Associated Press reporter Tim Reynolds reported that NBA teams had won 466 consecutive regular-season games when leading by at least 29 points.
Philadelphia took its first lead at 96-95 with about five minutes remaining after Embiid scored seven consecutive points.
Brown then added a fadeaway jumper, a driving layup and a midrange basket to push the advantage to seven points.
The turnaround began early in the third quarter, when Philadelphia scored 11 points in the opening 90 seconds to cut Cleveland's lead to 13.
Maxey followed with a fast-break layup and a three-pointer, trimming the margin to 80-73 and energizing the home crowd.
Despite a brief Cleveland response led by Donovan Mitchell, the 76ers kept closing the gap.
Cleveland entered the fourth quarter ahead 90-82 after briefly rebuilding its advantage while Maxey and Brown rested.
Mitchell led Cleveland with 32 points and 10 rebounds, but missed two free throws with 1:19 remaining that could have brought the Cavaliers within two points.
James Harden scored 16 points and recorded five assists.
Philadelphia's defense also limited Cleveland's frontcourt after halftime.
Evan Mobley, who scored 15 points in the first half, managed only three in the second, while Jarrett Allen failed to score after recording 14 points before the break.
Cleveland had controlled the opening half after turning an 11-11 tie into a 12-0 run.
That surge developed into a 24-7 stretch to close the first quarter, and the Cavaliers outscored Philadelphia 34-27 in the second to build a 24-point halftime advantage.
Philadelphia entered the game after defeating the reigning NBA champion New York Knicks on Tuesday.
Cleveland was opening its season after reaching the Eastern Conference finals the previous season.
The 76ers will continue their homestand against the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday, while the Cavaliers are scheduled to host the Brooklyn Nets for their home opener.
