The Philadelphia 76ers nearly completed another comeback, but their attempt ultimately fell just short. In their first game of NBA Cup group play, the Sixers lost to the Boston Celtics 109-108 on Friday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Philadelphia is now 4-1 so far this season.
Tyrese Maxey finished with 26 points, eight rebounds, 14 assists, two steals and two blocks. Joel Embiid totaled 20 points, six rebounds, four assists and three blocks. V.J. Edgecombe added an efficient 17 points, five rebounds and five assists.
Paul George (left knee surgery recovery), Jared McCain (right thumb surgery recovery) and Dominick Barlow (right elbow laceration) all remained out of the lineup for Philadelphia. However, both George and McCain appear to be getting closer to returning. Both players were full participants in Thursday’s light non-contact practice. McCain also participated in a pre-game warmup on Friday while wearing a small brace on his right hand. The Sixers also announced Barlow will be out for two more games before being re-evaluated next week.
Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 32 points, three rebounds and six assists. Anfernee Simons added 19 points, four rebounds and two assists off the bench. Jayson Tatum (right Achilles repair) was the lone player out for the Celtics.
The Sixers next take on the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday evening. Here are three observations from the tight loss to the Celtics:
Sixers’ Offense Hits Speed Bump Against Boston
Philadelphia has been one of the top scoring offenses in the league through their first four games. However, they struggled in the early going against Boston’s swarming defensive approach. Embiid was the lone play to find early success against the tough Boston defense. He scored or assisted on eight of the team’s first 10 points. The big fella continued to look more like himself offensively, moving well in space and showing a willingness to drive to the basket.
The Celtics were determined to not let Maxey, who came into the game as the league’s leading scorer, beat them. He was swarmed by multiple defenders nearly every time he touched the ball. Open driving lanes were non-existent. When Maxey did penetrate, he was swallowed up by multiple Boston defenders at the rim. Maxey, and really the Sixers as a whole, spent far too much time forcing the ball inside and crashing against the brick wall that was Boston’s interior defense. He also had his worst game of the season taking care of the basketball, committing five turnovers. The Sixers played sloppy basketball against the Celtics, committing 18 turnovers. It was a miracle they were nearly able to win the game despite the plentiful mistakes they made on offense.
The Sixers looked lifeless for much of the first half. However, they ended the half on a 17-4 run to cut the Celtics’ lead to 11 points at halftime. Edgecombe was at the center of the Sixers’ late-half turnaround. He asserted himself by scoring on a pull-up 3-pointer and a floater while getting fouled on consecutive possessions.
VJ Edgecombe heating up here with a silky smooth triple and a three-point play on the following possession 🔥 pic.twitter.com/6b2QyOcZ36
— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) November 1, 2025
Edgecombe’s improved outside shooting and shot-creation ability is one of the biggest takeaways from the Sixers’ first handful of games this season. Making 3-pointers in clutch moments was not on many people’s bingo cards for Edgecombe this early in his career.
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) November 1, 2025
The rookie No. 3 overall pick, prior to his explosion late in the first half, spent far too much time playing passively. He is far too talented to not assert himself and stay consistently involved in the offense.
Kelly Oubre Jr. also deserves a shoutout for his play both against Boston and so far this season. He has benefited from some hot outside shooting to begin the year. However, he is also consistently making the hustle plays and filling up the stat sheet. His final line against the Celtics was 17 points, nine rebounds and two blocks. The energy and production he has provided is earning him a shot at keeping his spot in the starting lineup once the team gets fully healthy.
Poor Defense Comes Back to Haunt Sixers
The Sixers have thus far been able to get away with playing poor defense due to scoring a league-leading 129.3 points per game. On Friday, their defensive struggles finally came back to haunt them. Boston was able to score at will against the Philadelphia defense. The Sixers’ problems began with their porous point-of-attack defense. Brown and Pritchard carved up the Sixers’ defense through getting inside the arc and doing a ton of damage on mid-range pull-ups. The Sixers’ transition defense also left a lot to be desired. They allowed Boston to waltz into far too many easy shots on the fast break. Some of Boston’s success early on could be attributed to a bit of fluke luck, but still it is inexcusable to give up 68 points in one half of basketball.
Philadelphia was able to turn things around in the second half. They played with more intensity and focus on the defensive end. Embiid had his best defensive game of the season. He recorded three blocks, including a chase down block on a Derrick White layup attempt in transition. Adem Bona came into the game in the second half and continued his block party. The athletic backup big man recorded two points, three rebounds and two blocks in 11 minutes off the bench. At some point, head coach Nick Nurse needs to trust Bona and let him take control of the entirety of the backup center minutes.
Despite the defensive turnaround in the second half, the Sixers had dug themselves too deep a hole to come back from. They have shown flashes of playing competent defense, but have yet to put a full game together on that end of the floor. Their offense has largely been able to bail them out, but their poor defense finally caught up to them against the Celtics.
Edwards’ Early-Season Struggles Continue
With George having yet to play and Trendon Watford easing into minutes after returning from a hamstring injury, Justin Edwards has had an opportunity to lock up his rotation spot. However, he has gotten off to a slow start to the season. Outside of a solid showing against the Charlotte Hornets, Edwards has struggled to be productive off the bench.
The 3-pointer and defensive ability which earned Edwards a standard contract last offseason failed to show up so far this season. The Celtics were not afraid to leave Edwards open, and he failed to make them pay. Boston used Edwards’ defender to double Maxey, leading to a handful of wide open looks that he did not take advantage of. If Edwards’ jumper continues to not fall, he should not continue to see time on the floor.