Sixers drop preseason finale to Boston, but Joel Embiid is back and that’s all that matters

The Sixers wrapped up the preseason with a 125-120 overtime loss to the Celtics, and nobody should care about the final score. The starters played into the second half, everyone walked off healthy, and the games finally count on Tuesday in New York.

Embiid, Maxey, Brown Carry

Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown combined for 69 points in the preseason finale. Embiid led everyone on the floor with a game-high 27 points to go with eight rebounds and five assists. Maxey added 22 points and six assists, and Brown finished with 20 points, eight rebounds and two blocks.

Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey & Jaylen Brown combined for 69 points in Philly's preseason finale!

Embiid: 27 PTS (game-high), 8 REB, 5 AST
Maxey: 22 PTS, 6 AST
Brown: 20 PTS, 8 REB, 2 BLK pic.twitter.com/VzvWyl86A6

— NBA (@NBA) October 17, 2026

The supporting cast chipped in too. Labaron Philon Jr. had 11 points and six assists, Jabari Walker gave the Sixers 13 off the bench, and LeBron James filled it up with eight points, eight rebounds and seven assists. When your three leading scorers are putting up 69 and LeBron is happy setting the table, that’s exactly how this roster is supposed to look.

Embiid Looked Like Embiid:

After a rough preseason debut in Brooklyn, Embiid answered every question in this one. Yes, there were some turnovers. Who cares. He looked healthy, he was aggressive, he was intentional with his moves and he lived at the free-throw line. Then in the third quarter, he threw down a dunk that told everyone exactly where he’s at physically.

Joel Embiid just dunkin’ on Celtics…love to see it

JOEL EMBIID. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/hM7atAFC55

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) October 17, 2026

Joel Embiid: “It’s good to dunk. I thought I would never dunk again.” pic.twitter.com/s8RcZePJud

— Kris Rhim (@krisrhim1) October 17, 2026

Embiid joked that he thought he’d never dunk again and that he “kind of got possessed.” He said he was going for a layup until a defender came over to try to block it, so he decided to go up and dunk it instead. That’s the Embiid this team needs, and the one the national media keeps pretending doesn’t exist anymore.

LeBron Is Still LeBron:

At 41 years old and heading into his 24th season, LeBron is still the ultimate chess piece on the floor. He ran the offense, crashed the glass and scored when the opportunities were there. He moved a little slow at times, but that’s a 41-year-old in a preseason finale saving it for when it counts. The two-man game between him and Maxey was a thing of beauty, and that’s going to be a problem for the rest of the league.

MAXEY TO LEBRON 💥

LeBron gets on the board with an alley-oop slam in his first preseason home game as a member of the @sixers! pic.twitter.com/qWr4Qt3tJs

— NBA (@NBA) October 16, 2026

LeBron said the team can’t waste any opportunity to get better, because some teams in the league have been together a lot longer than this group. He thinks the Sixers have made real progress over the last few weeks, and you could see it.

Brown Is Settling In:

Brown gave everyone a preview of exactly why the Sixers went and got him. He put his head down, used his strength to get into a rhythm offensively and made winning plays on the other end. He said he’s getting comfortable with the system, the city and the facility, and that the group is focused on building the right mentality and holding each other accountable.

Bring On the Knicks:

The preseason is done. Embiid is healthy, LeBron and Maxey are already clicking, and Brown looks right at home. Next up is Tuesday night at the Garden, and the Sixers will have to sit through, or skip, a Knicks ring ceremony first. Then it’s time to go to work.

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