The Philadelphia 76ers rallied to defeat the Boston Celtics 117-116 in the opening game.
Tyrese Maxey exploded with 40 points, and rookie sensation VJ Edgecomb scored 34 points in 42 minutes.
This was the most points scored by a Philadelphia 76ers player in his rookie debut. With Joel Embiid struggling mightily in the season opener, the 76ers’ backcourt was burdened.
Embiid played 20 minutes and scored just four points on 1-of-9 shooting from the field. Embiid didn’t look like the dominant player he once was.
Many criticized Embiid’s opener and questioned whether the youngsters Maxey and Edgecomb would lead the way in a new era for Philadelphia.
Kevin Garnett called out Embiid and suggested the 76ers are now Maxey’s team.
“He didn’t play well last year, but he was all summer.
“You had time, Joel, you had nine months off, so what are we doing?
“It’s like a changing of the guard. I’m shocked for him and Paul George not starting the year.
“There’s been a definite change. It’s Maxey’s team. He’s running it, that’s how the league is run.”
“I don’t know if a guy this big can keep up with this pace. I didn’t like what I saw. He wasn’t aggressive enough for me, I didn’t think he was good enough against anything. He had a delicate game. It wasn’t typical Embiid.”
“Maxie was aggressive, and so was VJ.”
Maxey and Edgecomb gave 76ers fans a glimpse of the future with great performances.
Edgecombe was outstanding on the night when Maxey scored a game-high 40 points.
Edgecombe and Maxey’s combined 74 points tied for the second-most points by a duo in a season opener in NBA history, behind only James Harden and Christian Wood’s 75 points for the Rockets in 2020.
With Embiid and George getting older, the 76ers may want to build around a new dynamic duo.