Three Key Takeaways From Sixers' Victory Over Celtics

The Cameroonian superstar only made one appearance for the Philadelphia 76ers prior to their match on Wednesday night. While Embiid would soak in the minutes during Philadelphia’s preseason finale, he’d be limited to only 20 minutes against the Celtics in their opening match of the season.

The former MVP’s performance during this 20-minute stretch wasn’t exactly something to write home about either, as he’d struggled from the floor, converting on only one of his nine attempts against Boston.

But given that it’s only his second game back after what was a long hiatus due to injury recovery, it shouldn’t be anything to worry about.

2. Dominick Barlow is ready for more at the NBA Level

Given the various injuries to some of the Sixers’ forwards, including the aforementioned George as well as Trendon Watford, Dominick Barlow received a spot in the Sixers’ starting lineup.

From tip-off, the New Jersey native battled the Celtics in the front court, recording eight rebounds and a blocked shot. Moreover, Barlow would end the night with 13 points to his name, along with five assists, showing that he's able to do it on both ends of the court.

These stretch of games will be important for Barlow, as they will serve as a resume that he can use to get more time in the NBA with the Sixers, given that he is a two-way talent, meaning he's not necessarily always going to be used at the NBA-level, but also the G League with the Delaware Blue Coats.

3. VJ Edgecombe's Finishing isn't anything to worry about

If you were to look at any scouting report on VJ Edgecombe prior to the 2025 NBA Draft, one of the consistent themes would be his consistency shooting the ball, after he shot a not so bad 43.6 percent from the field, and 34 percent from beyond the arc.

However this lack of consistency wouldn't be present on Wednesday night in TD Garden, as the Sixers' rookie would drop 34 points, on 50 percent shooting, with his shots from downtown dropping at 38 percent.

This efficiency allowed Edgecombe to break multiple records, as well as aiding in the Sixers' picking up their first win of the season over a historic rival no less.