Joel Embiid absolutely led the way for the Philadelphia 76ers in their preseason finale Friday night, dropping 23 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists. But listen, that’s not even the half of it: the big man hit the floor reportedly 20 to 25 pounds lighter, moving across the court with a whole new vibe.
LeBron’s Philly Welcome Was Electric, Even With Missed Shots
Okay, so Joel was cookin’, but everyone’s eyes were on LeBron James making his home debut for the Sixers in that preseason finale against the Boston Celtics. The crowd at Xfinity Mobile Arena? They went absolutely bonkers for him, giving him the biggest ovation of any starter, introduced second-to-last before Embiid himself. You could feel the energy! He even took the first shot, a three-pointer right after Embiid won the tip. It missed, yeah, but imagine if it went in? The roof would’ve come off.
His first basket came nearly midway through the first quarter, a fast-break dunk off a sweet lob from Tyrese Maxey after LeBron deflected a Celtics pass. Seriously, that Maxey-James connection is gonna be lethal. We saw it over and over, from screens at the top of the key to LeBron bringing the ball up himself, freeing Maxey to move without it. LeBron wrapped up his night with 8 points, 8 boards, and 7 assists in 25 minutes before Coach Nick Nurse pulled him with 3:25 left in the third quarter for Jaylen Brown.
Maxey and Brown Lit Up the Scoreboard, But One Felt Different
Speaking of Tyrese Maxey, the dude was straight up ballin’ himself, finishing with 22 points and 6 assists. He was one of three Sixers to hit 20 or more points! Talk about offensive firepower! But the real spicy subplot of the night, if LeBron hadn’t been making his debut, was Jaylen Brown facing his old squad, the Celtics, for the first time since that July trade.
Brown put up a solid 20 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks in 31 minutes. He came out at the 7:51 mark in the fourth. It’s a shame he didn’t get to face his former teammate Jayson Tatum, or Paul George, who were both sitting out. In fact, Boston sat several starters, including Mitchell Robinson and Derrick White. The Sixers made sure their main guys, including Brown, played their home preseason game after sitting out the away game in Boston last Saturday, a 144-106 defeat where James, Embiid, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope also sat. It’s good to see the home crowd get to see the full force.
This preseason finale was a good look, but now it’s for real. The 76ers kick off their 2026-27 regular season on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden, facing off against the defending NBA champion New York Knicks. Talk about a heavyweight bout to start the season! Embiid’s new frame, LeBron’s veteran leadership, and the Maxey-Brown combo? Tuesday can’t come soon enough.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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