The Philadelphia 76ers got the 2025-26 season underway on Wednesday night against the Boston Celtics, and star guard Tyrese Maxey was already in midseason form following an offensive explosion in the first half of the game.
Tyrese Maxey poured in 22 points in the first half of the 76ers’ season opener against the Celtics, while shooting 100 percent from the three-point line. He also put up two rebounds, three assists and one steal while shooting 62 percent from the field.
But despite Maxey’s heroics, the 76ers found themselves trailing the Celtics by double digits in the second half of the game. Maxey finally missed from three-point range, going 7-of-9 after his 3-0f-3 first half outing. He The Celtics still couldn’t stop him from scoring though as he had a game-high 34 points through the fourth quarter.
The 76ers initially selected Maxey with the No. 21 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, and he’s become one of the best players of his draft class, outperforming his draft spot. In 2023-24, Maxey earned his first NBA All-Star appearance while winning the league’s Most Improved Player Award. Last season he put up All-Star caliber numbers amid the 76ers’ injury-plagued year.
Maxey appeared in 52 games during the 2025-26 season at a little over 37 minutes per game. He averaged a career-high 26.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.8 steals with splits of 43.7 percent shooting from the field, 33.7 percent shooting from the three-point line and 87.9 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
With Joel Embiid being limited and relatively ineffective against the Celtics, Maxey’s fellow backcourt partner, rookie VJ Edgecombe, also went off in setting an NBA rookie record.
