NBA roundup: Maxey and Edwards lift 76ers past Celtics as Thunder extend dominance to 11-1

Tyrese Maxey and hometown favorite Justin Edwards led the Philadelphia 76ers to a thrilling 102-100 victory over the Boston Celtics on Tuesday, while the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder stretched their league-best record to 11-1.

Maxey, the NBA’s second-leading scorer this season, finished with 21 points, while Edwards came off the bench to add 22 in a breakout performance. The decisive moment came with 8.7 seconds remaining, when Kelly Oubre Jr. scored on a putback after Edwards’ only miss of the night.

“Extremely tough. He fought in there,” Maxey said of Oubre’s effort. “We got Justin the good look, and KO got the rebound and put it back.”

Boston’s Derrick White missed a half-court attempt at the buzzer, allowing Philadelphia (7-4) to claim their second win in three meetings against the Celtics this season — the three games decided by a combined four points.

“That’s how it goes,” Maxey said. “We’ve played them a hundred times, it feels like. They know what we’re going to do, and we know what they’re going to do.”

Maxey credited the team’s composure down the stretch: “Resilient. We trust each other. We just try to make great plays and play great defense in the fourth quarter.”

Edwards, a two-time state high school champion at Philadelphia’s Imhotep Charter, was perfect from the floor until his final attempt, going 8-for-8 overall and 5-for-5 from three-point range before missing the shot that set up Oubre’s winner.

Quentin Grimes added 18 points off the bench for Philadelphia, while Jaylen Brown led Boston with 24 points. The 76ers were without star center Joel Embiid, sidelined with a sore right knee.

The game opened with the lowest-scoring first quarter of the season for both teams (23-22 to Philadelphia) before the Sixers surged to a 51-41 halftime lead. Boston battled back to take control late in the third, but a Grimes half-court buzzer-beater brought the hosts within 77-71 heading into the final frame, setting up the tense finish.

Meanwhile, in Oklahoma City, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning NBA MVP, delivered another masterclass with 28 points and 11 assists, powering the Thunder to a 126-102 home win over the Golden State Warriors. The victory extended OKC’s blistering start to the season and reinforced their place atop the NBA standings.