Edgecombe’s 34-point debut pushes Sixers past Celtics 117-116
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BOSTON — On Oct. 22, 2025, Philadelphia 76ers rookie VJ Edgecombe scored 34 points in his first NBA game, guiding the club to a 117-116 victory over the Boston Celtics in the season opener at TD Garden.
The 19-year-old’s total is the highest by a debutant since Wilt Chamberlain poured in 43 on Oct. 24, 1959, and ranks third all time. Edgecombe also eclipsed Allen Iverson’s franchise debut record of 30.
Tyrese Maxey finished with a game-high 40, giving Philadelphia 74 combined points from its backcourt. According to league records, only James Harden and Christian Wood (75 in 2020) have scored more as a duo in an opener.
The Sixers led by four with 22 seconds left but nearly let it slip when Edgecombe missed two free throws with 9.1 seconds remaining. Boston guard Payton Pritchard had two chances to win it in the final moments and came up empty on both attempts.
Reigning 2023 MVP Joel Embiid played for the first time since February, contributing four points on 1-of-9 shooting and pulling down six rebounds in 20 minutes. The center was limited to 19 games last season because of a sprained left foot, a sinus fracture and arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.
Jaylen Brown, returning from a preseason hamstring issue, led Boston with 25 points. Finals MVP in 2024, Brown is expected to shoulder a larger role while fellow All-Star Jayson Tatum rehabs a ruptured Achilles tendon; Tatum watched from the bench in street clothes.
Derrick White also scored 25 for the Celtics, including 13 in a third-quarter stretch during which Boston strung together 16 straight points to flip a five-point deficit into an 11-point advantage. The Celtics were up 94-84 with nine minutes to play before Philadelphia answered with an 8-0 run to get back in contention.
Source: ESPN
