76ers survive late scare against Celtics in all-time rookie performance

The Philadelphia 76ers opened up their season on the road with a familiar foe in the Boston Celtics.

After a grueling 2024-25 season that included a 1-3 script against Boston, Philadelphia flipped the script.

The 76ers won 117-116, following VJ Edgecombe’s rookie-debut franchise record of 34 points.

Here are three takeaways from Wednesday night’s season-opener.

Edgecombe Shines Alongside Maxey

All eyes were on the 76ers’ first-round prize, that is, VJ Edgecombe. The third overall pick wasted no time showing why Philadelphia selected him so high.

Thrown straight into the fire, the highly-touted 20-year-old was anything but timid. In attack mode from the beginning, Edgecombe got out to a fast start and never looked back.

Edgecombe picked up early slack from Tyrese Maxey, who scored just three points in the first quarter before he found his rhythm. Philadelphia fell behind early and struggled to read Boston’s zone defense.

Fortunately, the team had two extremely fast guards who went hand-in-hand in breaking down the Celtics' defense. Edgecombe played with an assertiveness that hardly resembled a rookie. In moments, he looked like a mirror image of Tyrese Maxey.

Playing downhill is certainly his strength. Boston tried forcing Edgecombe both to his left and right, but could not pin him in either direction. He also showed the ability to spot-up shoot and made a couple of buckets from beyond, keeping the defense honest.

Both Edgecombe and Maxey played off one another really well. Maxey picked up where he left off, and it already looks like the foundation of this backcourt is worth building on.

The two missed free throws at the end were arguably Edgecombe’s mistakes.

What to make of Embiid’s minutes

Before the jump, Nick Nurse said that Embiid would be on a minutes restriction in his first game back since February. The All-Star center encountered his share of hills and valleys, having to shake off loads of rust.

Embiid hit the floor hard early in the third quarter. After a short gasp and a whistle, he was up and arguing a loose-ball foul.

The significance behind that: Joel Embiid is playing basketball. Embiid had his drive and played with a fair intensity when in the game, but failed to take advantage of his matchup with Xavier Tillman down low.

For the most part, Embiid did everything right. He was getting to his spots and posting up, but the shots just simply weren’t falling. Regardless of what you make of this, the truth is that Embiid is notorious for starting the NBA season slow.

In time, those shots will fall. Typically, the worry with Joel Embiid is that he’s “too slow” or “out of shape.” That was not the case tonight. He made the correct reads, took good shots, and found his spots.

On the flip side, Philadelphia did not prove much in the front court. Adem Bona played extremely tight and caused a few preventable turnovers. Andre Drummond did not get much run either, so the 76ers will need Embiid as the season progresses.

Boston’s persistent play style

For as good as the 76ers’ offense was, the defense was very suspect. Maxey’s parade of triples in the fourth quarter was countered every single time. It was a lot of the same from last year.

The transition defense was bad and allowed Boston to take control. Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and Anfernee Simons are just too good to be left wide open.

For years, Philadelphia’s self-inflicted wound has plagued itself. Nurse’s squad carried a six-point lead into the break. By the time the third quarter concluded, the Sixers had dug a massive lead after being out-scored 35-18.

The formula was nothing new. Last season, Boston set a franchise record and tied the NBA record of 29 made threes in one game. It was no secret that Boston is a run-and-gun team.

The Celtics created momentum and opened up the driving lanes by ensuring the Sixers stayed attentive beyond the arc. However, far too much, Philadelphia fell asleep and allowed easy baskets.

In the end, Philadelphia fended off Boston with a run that injected a taste of their own medicine. Some timely shots from Kelly Oubre, Edgecombe and Maxey countered the Celtics’ offense.

The defense will be a work in progress, but you have to like that finish if you are Nurse.

Sam Simonic is a first-year student majoring in print/digital journalism. To contact him, please email sps7381@psu.edu.