Tyrese Maxey tossed in a game-high 40 points and rookie VJ Edgecombe got off to a historic start with 34 to lead the visiting Philadelphia 76ers to a 117-116 victory over the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night in the NBA opener for each team.

Boston trailed 117-116 after Edgecombe missed two free-throw attempts with 8.5 seconds left, but Payton Pritchard missed two shots on Boston’s final possession.

Edgecombe, the third pick in this year’s NBA draft, rang up the third-most points in an NBA debut all time and the most since Wilt Chamberlain totaled 43 on Oct. 24, 1959. The old Sixers record for the most points by a player in his first game was 30, set by Allen Iverson on Nov. 1, 1996, vs. the Milwaukee Bucks. He also had seven rebounds and three assists.

Boston received 25 points from bo

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