The Philadelphia 76ers started the 2022-23 season with a loss. The Boston Celtics came to play and defeated the Sixers 126-117 at TD Garden.

James Harden posted 35 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Joel Embiid had 26 points, 15 rebounds and five assists. Tyrese Maxey scored 21 points and Tobias Harris added 18 points. For the Celtics, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown each had 35 points while shooting over 50 percent from the field. Malcolm Brogdon had 16 points off the bench in his debut for his new team, while Marcus Smart contributed 14 points and seven assists.

The season ahead of the Sixers is long, so one game is not enough to make serious conclusions about any player or the team. But as the hot takes fly with real NBA games underway, let's recap the Sixers' first game with some overreactions coming out of this game while also adding a rational touch to them.

4. James Harden is back in superstar form

Harden shined in his season debut, especially in the first quarter. He drew fouls from Celtics defenders with his signature step-back triple and shot very efficiently from the floor. By halftime, he had 22 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field and 8-of-8 from the free-throw line.

Perhaps the most important question for the Sixers is regarding how well Harden will play this season. Right away, he played with the energy of someone looking to prove their worth and nearly came away with a triple-double.

While there is certainly room to be happy with how Harden played, it's important to keep expectations in check. Big nights like this will become less commonplace as he likely settles into more of a floor-general role. Still, seeing him go out and dominate offensively was very pleasing to see.

3. Philly's offense is too stale to be elite

Harden getting on a roll early masked a rough performance for the Sixers' offense. The Celtics' defense had its way far too often despite Philly's numerous options. The loss should serve as a wake-up call to Philly that they need to get their offense going in multiple ways and be adaptable.

The Sixers failed to make it easy enough for Embiid to dominate. Every time he got the ball in the post, the Celtics would keep the nearest defender close by to swipe at the ball or help contain his attempt at a drive. Embiid had six turnovers, and three of them came when he got doubled in the post.

Meanwhile, Tyrese Maxey looked uninvolved with the offense for long periods of the game. He ended the night with 21 points thanks to a nine-point fourth quarter, when he got hot while Harden rested. Doc Rivers looked to get Harden and Embiid going in the pick-and-roll, which did work out several times but came at the cost of inadvertently freezing out the rest of the offense.

Generating good looks for Embiid, keeping Maxey involved and keeping Harden going is a tricky juggling act. The Sixers must figure out how to make sure all three players have the opportunity to get in their grooves.

2. The Sixers' defense is overrated

The Sixers spent a lot of time and resources improving their defense, so allowing so many points should come as an unpleasant surprise. There are improvements to be made, yes, but it's not as dire as it seems.

Tatum and Brown each had 35 points, but neither of them is a stranger to big scoring outbursts. In the half court, the Sixers forced Boston into making some tough shots, but they were up to the challenge. The Celtics shot just 4-of-15 from deep in the first half, which ended in a tie at 63 points apiece.

One key reason the Celtics were able to keep up with a red-hot Harden and not-his-best-but-still-good Embiid was the transition game. Boston turned defense into offense with great efficiency, scoring 24 points on the fast break. The Sixers, meanwhile, only got two points in fast-break situation.

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If Philly had taken care of the ball better and fed Maxey more in transition, this game would have been very different. The Sixers should still be regarded as a top defensive team with the potential to be elite even after a rough season debut.

1. The Celtics are levels ahead of the Sixers

The Celtics – Tatum and Brown in particular — looked very good in their season opener. They didn't have the cleanest offense but made their mark on defense and made enough easy opportunities for themselves (while prohibiting the Sixers from doing so) to win decisively. They are rightfully seen as one of the true title contenders, while Philly is more of a title hopeful. Tuesday's loss doesn't change that nor indicates that the Sixers can't hang with them.

Philly will have nights when they look like world-beaters and ones where they look not so great. Opening Night was the latter for them, and it doesn't mean that they can't eventually be seen as one of the truly elite teams of the East. If anything, they just found out some vital areas to improve in to help them achieve that status.

The Sixers will have numerous chances to show they can take down the Celtics, with their next chance coming on Feb. 18 in Boston. After that, they'll have two shots of beating them in Philadelphia. It will only get tougher, though, as Robert Williams should eventually come back from injury.