PHILADELPHIA — The Cleveland Cavaliers begin their 2026-27 season Thursday night against the Philadelphia 76ers, opening a new campaign with championship expectations and a difficult road matchup against a team that has already made an impression.

Philadelphia defeated the defending NBA champion New York Knicks, 106-100, on Tuesday behind 28 points from Tyrese Maxey. Now the Sixers return home with LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, and Joel Embiid preparing to face a Cleveland team that reached the Eastern Conference Finals last season.

For the Cavaliers, it's an opportunity to see how their offseason work translates to the regular season. It's also a chance to open the year with a victory against one of the teams expected to contend in the Eastern Conference.

A Familiar Face in an Unfamiliar Uniform

The biggest storyline Thursday is James facing the Cavaliers in his first season with Philadelphia.

James, who helped deliver Cleveland's first NBA championship in 2016, joined the Sixers during the offseason and will begin his 24th NBA season alongside Maxey, Embiid, and Brown, giving Philadelphia an impressive collection of talent.

The Sixers showed some of that potential against New York. Maxey led Philadelphia with 28 points, Brown contributed 19 points, eight rebounds, and six assists, and James added 14 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists. Embiid finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds despite shooting just 4-of-15 from the floor.

Cleveland will need to account for scoring threats all over the court rather than focusing its defense on a player or two. Maxey's speed, Brown's ability to create his own shot, and Embiid's presence inside will present different challenges throughout the night.  In other words, the 76ers are stacked.

Mitchell and Harden Lead Cleveland's Response

Not to be outdone, the Cavaliers enter the season with plenty of talent of their own with Donovan Mitchell and James Harden together for their first full campaign after Harden arrived from the Los Angeles Clippers in February.

Both guards can create their own scoring opportunities, but getting the rest of the team involved will be equally important. Evan Mobley gives Cleveland a versatile offensive option around the basket and away from it, while the additions of Peyton Watson and Mario Hezonja provide new possibilities for head coach Kenny Atkinson.

The Cavaliers also bring back Jaylon Tyson and Sam Merrill, giving the team several options on the perimeter. After reaching the conference finals last season, Cleveland will be looking for more consistency from its offense against the league's better defensive teams.

Cleveland swept all four regular-season meetings with Philadelphia last year, but the Sixers' offseason changes make those results less useful as a guide to Thursday's matchup.

Injuries Create Questions Up Front

One concern for Cleveland is the status of Jarrett Allen, who was listed as questionable Wednesday with right patellar tendinopathy. If Allen is unable to play, the Cavaliers would be without one of their most dependable rebounders and interior defenders against a team featuring Joel Embiid.

Cleveland will already be without Nae'Qwan Tomlin, who is dealing with a lower-back stress reaction and is scheduled to be reevaluated in approximately three to four weeks. Sam Merrill has also dealt with elbow soreness, although he returned to full practice Tuesday.

If Allen can't play, Mobley will likely have to shoulder more responsibility at center. Cleveland could also use smaller lineups, with Watson and Tyson taking on additional minutes against Philadelphia's forwards.

The Sixers have injury questions of their own, including former Cavalier Dean Wade, who missed Tuesday's opener with an ankle injury.

A Tough First Test

The Cavaliers finished last season 52-30 before advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they were swept by New York. Getting back to that stage is a goal, but Cleveland enters the new season hoping to go further.

Thursday's opener won't determine whether the Cavaliers are ready to compete for a championship, but it should provide an early look at how their new rotation performs against a talented opponent.

Cleveland has enough offensive firepower to keep pace with Philadelphia. The bigger questions will be how well the Cavaliers defend the Sixers' multiple scoring threats and whether they can hold their own around the basket, particularly if Allen is unavailable.

Game Information

Prediction: Philadelphia already has a competitive game under its belt, and its new roster presents several difficult matchups for Cleveland. The Cavaliers have the guards to keep this close, but with Allen's status uncertain, the Sixers have a slight advantage at home and under the rim with Embiid.

Philadelphia 125, Cleveland 120