Philadelphia 76ers Outlast Boston Celtics In 117-116 Win On Opening Night

The Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics squared off on opening night in a division matchup. Philadelphia looked to get back on track after a disastrous 2024 season, without Paul George. The Celtics, on the other hand, were trying to start the season on the right note without their star player, Jayson Tatum.

76ers Backcourt Was Amazing

The Philadelphia 76ers’ new look backcourt was stellar tonight. Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe combined for 74 points and looked fantastic on the floor tonight. Edgecombe specifically shone in his debut. The rookie scored 34 points, had 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and looked poised and composed in all four quarters. With 34 points, Edgecombe now ranks third all-time for the most points in a player’s NBA debut. He trails Frank Selvy, who had 35 points, and Wilt Chamberlain, who put up an astonishing 43 points in his debut.

Tyrese Maxey also put together a great performance tonight, scoring 40 points. Per Real Sports, Maxey had the most points in a season opener for the 76ers since 1969. He and Edgcombe put the team on their back, showing incredible fight for an amazing comeback in the fourth quarter. All around you saw how much Head Coach Nick Nurse values these two, as he’s able to play at a faster pace. Missing Joel Embiid, the 76ers managed to hold their own when he was on the bench, which is something they couldn’t do last season.

Along with missing Embiid for most of the game, Philadelphia was also missing Paul George. The fact that their starting and second units looked strong tonight, even without their two best players, is extremely impressive. Things are trending upwards for the Sixers, as they’ll hopefully be getting George and Embiid back at 100% in the coming weeks. George is expected to return soon after returning from a knee procedure he had earlier in the offseason. Last year, if both of these players were out, the 76ers would’ve been steamrolled by their opponents, but refused to go down tonight.

Celtics Fall Apart In Second Half

The Boston Celtics trailed at halftime and came out firing in the third quarter. They outscored the Sixers 35-17, taking an 11-point lead entering the fourth quarter. Boston fell apart in the final two minutes of the game, being outscored 11-7. Philadelphia quickly took all of the momentum, and the Celtics just couldn’t score when it mattered most. They had a chance on their final possession of the game after Edgecombe missed both of his free throws, but Payton Pritchard missed two game-winning shots.

The Celtics will try out many different lineups this season, given the significant changes the team has undergone over the offseason. Overall, I would say the team played well tonight. There was a point in this game where they just couldn’t miss and took advantage of the 76ers’ poor transition defense. Boston will be back in action on Friday night, heading to Madison Square Garden to take on the New York Knicks, who beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 119-111 in their season opener.