The Boston Celtics opened their 2025-26 season with a much different looking team than how they looked at the end of last season, with Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, and Luke Kornet all departed to new homes. The obvious loss of Jayson Tatum to his torn Achilles injury will be the season-long narrative, but Boston came out at home to welcome the Philadelphia 76ers, in a dogfight between the two.
A closely contested first quarter would be followed by each team having the upper hand in the following two, with Philly taking control of the second quarter, and the Celtics coming out with 35 in third quarter. Philadelphia, playing without Paul George to begin their season would see their backcourt take control of the offense, with superstar center Joel Embiid sitting the entirety of the fourth quarter.
This year’s third overall pick for the Sixers, V.J. Edgecombe, set a franchise record for most points in a debut, and as the game came down to the final moments, Boston could not capitalize in the end. The Celtics would bring the game down to the final possession, where they trailed bye one point, but Payton Pritchard was unable to capitalize on his final two attempts and Boston would lose the first season opener for head coach Joe Mazzulla.
Here’s a quick recap of the Boston Celtics opening night loss to the Philadelphia 76ers who were led by Tyrese Maxey and Edgecombe.
Final score: Philadelphia 76ers 117, Boston Celtics 116
Keys to the game:
Philadelphia’s backcourt: Led by Maxey and Edgecombe, Philadelphia got a majority of their offensive contribution by their starting backcourt that combined for 74 points in the game. The Sixers needed every bit of the contributions by their starters, as Joel Embiid played 20 minutes and had a total of just four points. Boston had Payton Pritchard and Derrick White in their backcourt, and they only combined for 41, giving Philly a major win in that department.
3-point shooting: Over the past two seasons, Boston established themselves as one of the most consistent and efficient 3-point shooting teams, but Philadelphia would get the edge in this one. Hitting on five more 3-point attempts than Boston did, the Sixers shot 40% from deep in comparison to the Celtics who shot just 25% on the night.
Inability to close the game: In their first game without Jayson Tatum, the Celtics struggled to find their late-game closer in the fourth quarter. The final two offensive possessions saw Payton Pritchard handle the ball and miss both field goal attempts, while Jaylen Brown did not touch the ball. Boston will have to figure out quickly who they’re going to look to rely on in clutch moments moving forward, or they’ll suffer more heartbreaking losses as they did.
Highlight of the game: V.J. Edgecombe sets a Philadelphia 76ers record for most points in debut
What’s next: @ New York Knicks, Friday, October 24, 7:30PM ET on Amazon Prime
The NBA’s first year on Amazon Prime will see a big-time showdown in the rivalry matchup between the Celtics and the New York Knicks. This will be Boston’s first crack at revenge for the team that eliminated them from the playoffs last season, the same series in which Tatum suffered his torn Achilles injury.
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