Celtics new-look squad debut spoiled by 76ers late-game comeback

BOSTON — It appeared the Celtics were in full control of their season-opener with a new-look squad after a 35-point third quarter. Even when the 76ers cut a double-digit lead to one basket, the Celtics responded with a nine-point lead with under four minutes remaining. It was supposed to be their knockout punch.

Philadelphia came swinging.

The 76ers erupted on a 15-2 scoring run to regain a four-point lead. It was enough to hand the Celtics a 117-116 loss, marking their first defeat to start a season since 2021. The Celtics had a chance to win the game late after rookie VJ Edgecombe missed two free throws before Payton Pritchard missed a layup and jumper as the final buzzer sounded.

“It’s tough, definitely a winnable game for us,” Jaylen Brown said. “We had some opportunities even at the end, we had some opportunities. It didn’t go our way. It’s a learning experience.

“It’s going to be a learning experience. We’ve got a bunch of new guys. We’re playing a new style. I thought we played hard today.”

Derrick White and Brown each scored a team-high 25 points for the Celtics, who had five players reach double-digit point totals in the game. White played a large part in a third-quarter 9-0 scoring run for Boston, scoring 13 of his points out of the halftime break. He struggled from deep, making only four of his 13 attempts. Brown’s 3-point usage was down to four attempts, sinking two of his tries while dishing out four assists in the contest.

Shooting from 3-point was a struggle for the Celtics as a whole, knocking down just 11 of their 43 attempts in the game. Pritchard shot the worst from deep, hitting only one of his 11 3-pointers while scoring 16 points. His lone make cut the Celtics’ deficit to one point before Edgecombe's missed free throws, creating a game-winning opportunity for Boston.

Neemias Queta finished with 17 points and eight rebounds. He and Xavier Tillman, who posted four points and seven rebounds, held down the Celtics’ frontcourt by cleaning the glass and taking advantage of fastbreak opportunities. They easily outplayed 76ers’ star Joel Embiid, whose minutes restriction limited him to 20 minutes and three minutes in the fourth quarter. Embiid recorded four points and six rebounds with a -16 plus-minus rating.

“[Queta has] it in him to be good for us,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said. “He did some really good things. Standard is high for him, I thought he answered the call. He just has to continue to get better and better.”

Tyrese Maxey led all scorers with 40 points while posting six assists. He picked up his fifth foul early in the fourth quarter but avoided fouling out of the game. Edgecombe, who was the third overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and made his NBA debut on Wednesday, scored 34 points. He broke the 76ers’ record for most points scored by a rookie in his first NBA game, which was held by Allen Iverson’s 30-point performance in 1996.

“I think lost Maxey on a couple pick-and-rolls where we went under instead of chasing him over, getting him an inside 3," Mazzulla said. "Again, a few transition opportunities, whether it was a live-ball turnover or the byproduct of not getting an offensive rebound. And then offensive rebound 3s and some shot making by some of those guys."