3 Observations: Edwards’ 22 Points Sparks 76ers in Win Over Celtics

Kelly Oubre Jr.’s game-winning putback layup proved to be just enough to get the Philadelphia 76ers past the Boston Celtics. The Sixers moved to 7-4 on the season after defeating Boston 102-100 on Tuesday night at the Xfinity Mobile Arena.

Justin Edwards sparked the Sixers with 22 points on 8-of-9 shooting off the bench. Tyrese Maxey totaled 21 points, five rebounds and nine assists. Andre Drummond finished with 14 points and 13 rebounds. Quentin Grimes added 18 points, six rebounds and four assists.

Joel Embiid (right knee soreness), Paul George (left knee surgery recovery), Dominick Barlow (right elbow laceration) and Johni Broome (right ankle sprain) were out of the lineup for the Sixers.

Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 24 points, six rebounds and five assists. Derrick White totaled 18 points, five rebounds and seven assists. Jayson Tatum (right achilles repair) was the lone player unavailable for Boston.

The Sixers’ next contest is a road matchup against the Detroit Pistons on Friday. Here are three observations from the win over the Celtics:

Edwards Leads Sixers’ Balanced Offensive Attack Against Boston

Much of the Sixers’ offensive burden has fallen on Maxey’s shoulders so far this season. He has handled it exceptionally well, putting up career-high numbers all across the board. However, it has also resulted in Maxey playing an insane 41.1 minutes per game. For the first time this season, the Sixers were able to give Maxey a bit of a smaller workload.

Philadelphia featured a balanced offensive attack against the Celtics. Six different players scored between five and 10 points in the first half, led by a player nobody would have expected. Drummond has grown more and more comfortable over the past several games. He has been rewarded by getting the starting nod at center with Embiid out of the lineup. The 32-year old had his best game of the season against Boston. He gobbled up rebounds at a high clip and efficiently finishing a ton of opportunities from around the rim. While Drummond had a good game, the experiment of him taking corner 3-pointers has passed its expiration date.

Much ink has been spilled in these game stories about how Edwards has struggled out of the gate this season. He gets a ton of credit for battling through those early-season struggles and coming up big for the Sixers against Boston. On a night where not much was coming easily for Philadelphia, Edwards was one of the few players clicking on all cylinders. He knocked down a pair of 3-pointers in addition to dipping inside the arc and connecting on some tough end-of-clock mid-range jumpers. With the Sixers down by five points midway through the fourth quarter, Edwards lit up the scoreboard by knocking down 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions to swing the momentum back in Philadelphia’s direction.

8-8 FG. 5-5 3PM. https://t.co/xzuTztVrId pic.twitter.com/R9FKmhf1H3

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) November 12, 2025

The Sixers are lacking wing depth with both George and Barlow’s injuries. Edwards stepping up could go a long way towards helping alleviate their lack of production from the wing positions. He has gone through his share of poor play this season, but performances like the one he had against Boston could potentially be enough to turn his season around.

Third Quarter Woes Nearly Cost Sixers

Atrocious play in the third quarter from the Sixers has unfortunately become the norm this season. That trend continued against the Celtics. Philadelphia took a 10-point lead into halftime, and it took just a few minutes in the third quarter for it to slip all away. The Sixers were outscored by 16 points in the third quarter, and they have now been outscored in third quarters by 104 points so far this season.

Part of the Sixers’ third-quarter woes against Boston were due to the Celtics’ perimeter players beginning to heat up. White’s offensive game was unlocked once he saw his first 3-pointer go through the hoop. Brown began using his physicality and mid-range prowess to carve up the Sixers’ defense.

In addition to their defensive struggles in the third quarter, the Sixers have gotten into a bad habit of becoming stagnant at times offensively. They spent far too many possessions wasting the clock away before giving the ball to one of their perimeter players to attempt to make something out of nothing as the shot clock ticks down. Even players like Maxey will struggle in those scenarios, particularly against a stout Boston defense. The Sixers have shown the ability to move the ball, play with pace and dominate opposing defenses. Those moments of success make times like the third quarter against the Celtics all the more frustrating.

There were a few players who struggled in particular against the Celtics. V.J. Edgecombe, after beginning the season on fire offensively, lost his touch as a shooter and is not producing much offensively. Opposing defenses are crowding him and making it difficult for him to create any separation. The rookie No. 3 overall pick is going to go through growing pains offensively, but he is still making an impact defensively. Edgecombe finished with six points, three rebounds, three assists and two blocks against the Celtics.

Jared McCain has also not looked anywhere close to his normal self since returning from a thumb injury. He is lacking his typical confidence on the floor in addition to struggling at times against the pressure defense Boston was throwing his direction. There is no reason for concern at this early stage. McCain should get more comfortable as he begins to get more game reps under his belt.

Embiid Sidelined by Right Knee Soreness, Other Injury Updates

Before the action started, there was a lot of important injury news from the Sixers earlier on Tuesday evening. Embiid was not originally listed on the injury report coming into this game against the Celtics. However, the Sixers on Tuesday afternoon announced he was going to miss the game due to right knee soreness.

“We had a shootaround today, a day off yesterday. He just reported a little soreness in his right knee,” head coach Nick Nurse told reporters, via Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire, before the game. “He has had some imaging on that this afternoon. Doctors are here tonight to go over that with him.”

It is important to note Embiid’s current knee issue is with his right knee and not the oft-injured left knee. Embiid underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee in early April. The Sixers have had him follow a stringent plan this season in an effort to keep him healthy for the long haul. Part of the plan involved Embiid not playing both ends of back-to-backs in addition to being on a strict minutes restriction. Embiid has gradually increased both his production and minutes played, leading to a 29-point performance in 26 minutes against the Toronto Raptors on Saturday.

In addition to Embiid, the Sixers gave updates on two other injured players. George has yet to make his season debut after having an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee during the offseason. He has been participating in five-on-five practices for about a month, but has still yet to play this season. George reportedly met with doctors over the weekend, with Nurse saying the meeting was George’s “last hurdle” to clear before being able to return to action.

George is not the only Sixers player nearing a return to the floor. Barlow has missed the Sixers’ last nine games with a right elbow laceration. Nurse before the game said Barlow “should be good to go very soon.” Barlow was spotted during pre-game warmups without the brace he had been wearing on his right arm.

The Sixers received some positive news on the injury front after the game against the Celtics. Shams Charania of ESPN reported late Tuesday night George will be re-evaluated later this week. He added the doctors “want additional strength of his left quadriceps to support the knee” before giving him clearance to return to action. Nurse gave another update, via Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports, on Embiid after the game, telling reporters Embiid has “no structural issues” and will be listed as day-to-day.