Determined to put last season’s struggles behind them, the Philadelphia 76ers have opened the new campaign with renewed purpose. Through four games, they’ve delivered an electrifying brand of basketball that has reignited excitement among their fans.
With that in mind, let’s recap the team’s two most recent games.
The Sixers continued their early-season surge Monday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena, posting a commanding 136–124 victory over the Orlando Magic to improve to 3–0, their best start since 2019. To put that in perspective, it took Philadelphia 15 games last season to earn their third win.
With Joel Embiid sidelined for rest and injury management, the Sixers leaned on Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, and Kelly Oubre Jr., all of whom rose to the occasion.
Maxey, who has burst out of the gates this season with an MVP-caliber start, led all scorers with 43 points while going 9-for-10 from the foul line and adding a team-high eight assists.
Edgecombe continued to build his early case for Rookie of the Year, shooting 10-of-17 from the field for 26 points, including a perfect 4-for-4 at the line.
The dynamic backcourt of Maxey and Edgecombe has quickly become one of the league’s most electrifying duos and they are already making history. Through three games, the pair combined for 182 points, the most by any starting backcourt through a team’s first three games of a season since starters were first tracked in 1970–71, according to ESPN.
Fans may recall that Edgecombe made history on opening night, when his 34-point debut marked the highest-scoring debut ever by a Sixers rookie, and the most by any rookie since Wilt Chamberlain. And if that wasn’t impressive enough, ClutchPoints reported that Edgecombe’s 75 points over his first three games top Michael Jordan’s output through the same stretch.
While Maxey and Edgecombe continue to dominate the headlines, it was Oubre who may have had his best game in a Sixers uniform, according to coach Nick Nurse. “Kelly was awesome…That was one of Kelly’s best games, if not his best game, as a Sixer. He was awesome right from the beginning.” In 40 minutes of play, Oubre went 9-for-16 from the field, scoring 25 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.
With Embiid on a minutes restriction and not playing every game, and with Paul George still sidelined, Oubre could see his role continue to expand. Through three games, he has provided exactly what the Sixers have needed: 18.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 2.3 steals per game.
On Tuesday night, the Sixers traveled to the nation’s capital to face the Washington Wizards, who entered the contest with a 1–2 record. The game turned out to be a nail-biter, as Philadelphia found itself trailing by as many as 19 points, with Washington outscoring them in both the first and third quarters. However, the Sixers mounted an incredible comeback in the fourth, outscoring the Wizards 32–16 to tie the game and force overtime.
In overtime, they outscored Washington 13–8 en route to a 139–134 victory, keeping their perfect start intact at 4–0.
While Embiid was sidelined for much of the Sixers’ comeback, he still logged a season-high 23 minutes, contributing 25 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. With each outing, he appears to be gaining both rhythm and endurance, encouraging signs for the Sixers’ personnel and fans alike.
As we’ve come to expect this season, Maxey carried much of the scoring load, posting 39 points in 47 minutes of play along with 10 assists. He currently leads the league in scoring at 37.5 points per game. Additionally, both he and Edgecombe rank among the league leaders in minutes per game, with Maxey averaging 43.0 and Edgecombe 40.3.
The Sixers’ comeback victory was also fueled by key contributions from several players off the bench, including Andre Drummond, Quentin Grimes, and Adem Bona. Drummond, who has continued to prove his value this season, delivered another productive performance, grabbing 10 rebounds in just 12 minutes of action.
Grimes, averaging 17.8 points per game off the bench this year, poured in 23 on Tuesday night and was instrumental down the stretch. He made several clutch plays, including a game-tying three-pointer with 38.7 seconds remaining to force overtime.
Bona, the Sixers’ 2024 second-round pick out of UCLA, played 18 minutes at center and blocked four shots in the fourth quarter and another in overtime. His defensive presence was a major factor in Philadelphia’s comeback. Listed at 6’10”, Bona, along with Drummond, figures to play a crucial role in the frontcourt this season as Embiid continues to play under a minutes restriction.
Of course, it’s still early, just four games into the season, and plenty can happen as the year unfolds. But right now, it’s a great time to be a Sixers fan. There are numerous promising pieces working together in unison, and the team’s chemistry appears to be building with each game.
Philadelphia will host Boston (1–3) on Friday. Tipoff is set for 7:00 PM and the game will be televised on Prime Video.
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