Philadelphia 76ers guard VJ Edgecombe (77) drives to the basket against Boston Celtics guard Anfernee Simons (4) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025, in Boston.

The Philadelphia 76ers have shaped their identity around Joel Embiid. His absence through training camp and the early preseason games has kept fans wondering how ready the franchise cornerstone truly is.

No. 3 overall pick VJ Edgecombe produced a high-scoring night in his regular-season debut with the Philadelphia 76ers.

The NBA season kicks off with the Boston Celtics facing the Philadelphia 76ers on October 22, 2025. Jason Tatum is out for the Celtics with an ACL injury, while Jaylen Brown's status is questionable.

The Philadelphia 76ers started the season with a 117-116 win over the Boston Celtics despite Paul George and Jared McCain not playing. Tyrese Maxey erupted for 40 points. Rookie VJ Edgecombe added a cool 34 for the highest scoring output in an NBA debut since Wilt Chamberlain in 1959. This is the good news.

Joel Embiid started for the Philadelphia 76ers in their preseason finale on Friday night, his first game action in nearly eight months.

Payton Pritchard made things interesting in the finals 16 seconds, making a three and a layup to bring the Celtics to within one. However, he missed two potential game-winning layups in the final three seconds, allowing the 76ers to sneak away with the one-point win.