The 76ers have thrived on come-from-behind wins this season, especially in the guts of the fourth quarter. So when Philadelphia trailed the Cavaliers by 17 entering the last 12 minutes on Friday night, an optimist might’ve said the 76ers have them right where they want them.

That wasn’t the case.

Philadelphia (8-2) sputtered against Cleveland (5-4), falling 119-95 at Rocket Arena. The Cavaliers have snapped the 76ers’ five-game winning streak and Philadelphia declines to 1-1 in East Group B Play of the NBA Cup. The 76ers couldn’t overcome a slow start in the first quarter as their worst offensive traits were on display the entire night.

Here are three box score stats that give perspective to Philadelphia’s first loss since October 25.

1. 6 points

Friday will be a day Joel Embiid would soon like to forget. He turned in six points on 0-9 shooting from the field, seven rebounds, and two blocks; Embiid scored all his points from the free-throw line.

The 2022-23 Most Valuable Player’s shooting touch was off all night, but his struggles were more layered than that. Cleveland excelled at sending help defenders whenever Embiid caught the ball within the arc. It forced him into tough shots or a bad decision; he recorded one assist and two turnovers.

Embiid’s three-point woes continued as well, having shot 0-2 from beyond the arc. The difficult part of this is many of those spot-up, trailing looks are ones Embiid needs to keep shooting. The 76ers create a plethora of their advantages with Embiid pick-and-pops; he simply needs to hit shots.

The 32-year-old was a step slow on both ends of the court. Evan Mobley repeatedly snuck by him off the dribble, finishing with 22 points on 8-13 shooting from the field. The Cavaliers tried to put Embiid in as many actions as possible and it bore fruit; Mobley’s 3-4 shooting from 3-point range was proof.

2. 36.5% shooting from the field

This was the third time Philadelphia scored below 100 points, correlating with 36.5% shooting from the field. The 76ers’ poor shooting reflected a shot diet filled with isolation plays and lacking floor spacing; Philadelphia hit just 25% (10-40) of its trifectas.

Cleveland’s defense was pestilent, but the 76ers’ inefficiency had much to do with themselves. They’re loaded with stars but Philadelphia lacks a variety of high-volume shooters to ease the burden. Anfernee Simons is the only guard who truly fits that mold and he scored only six points on three shots.

Given the 76ers’ shooting troubles, the Cavaliers were able to play zone coverages and clog the paint, which made life difficult for Nick Nurse’s squad. It was part of the reason Philadelphia had 15 turnovers that the Cavaliers turned into 21 points. 

LeBron James also had his worst game as a 76er, notching eight points and six turnovers to three assists. He has been Philadelphia’s de facto point guard, so without him in rhythm, other stars began to call their numbers to a fault. That’s how you end up going 31-85 from the field.

3. 56 rebounds

The 76ers’ frontcourt sustained another blow as Adem Bona missed the game because of a cervical spine sprain. While Bona has struggled off the glass this season, his absence reduced Philadelphia’s backup big options to Jabari Walker and Dean Wade.

The result? Cleveland out-rebounded the 76ers 56-42.

The Cavaliers—down Jarrett Allen (right knee contusion)—weren’t at full force either, but they still won the boards. Walker actually filled in well with eight points and five rebounds. But he’s still only 6-foot-7. Given that and Embiid’s woes, there was only so much Philadelphia could do against a bigger Cavaliers team.

The 76ers have a chance to bounce back against the Bulls (1-7) on Sunday, November 8 at 3:30 p.m. ET.