76ers Just Gave the NBA a Terrifying Glimpse of What's Coming

Showtime has come to Philadelphia.

In their final preseason game, four of the starters for the Philadelphia 76ers played, and if this is anything like what we’re expecting for opening night, the NBA is in serious trouble. 

LeBron James and Jaylen Brown have been at the center of everything 76ers-related, but this night belonged to Joel Embiid. After much criticism surrounding Embiid and his health along with his early struggles during the preseason, Embiid showed up and showed out. Embiid scored 27 points in 29 minutes of play. 

His teammates played pretty well themselves, as he, along with two other 76ers, finished with at least 20 points. Tyrese Maxey had 22, while Brown finished with 20. The starters have definitely knocked off the rust and will be ready when the lights are on bright against the New York Knicks.

Throughout most of this game, it seemed Philadelphia would run away with this, as they forced plenty of turnovers and got out into transition and finished at the rim. It was apparent early on that the 76ers were emphasizing pressure and getting into the paint. Time and time again you would see a 76er cutting to the basket or penetrating on offense to kick it out for an open three. Going into the half, the 76ers led the Boston Celtics by two. Embiid led the way with 16 points on 4-8 from the field. The 76ers starters combined for 44 of the 68 points.

The second half is where the 76ers started to put their foot on the Celtics' neck, outscoring them 32-26 in the third quarter. Philadelphia played their starters in some capacity for most of this game with Brown playing into the fourth quarter. Now the fourth quarter is when we began to see some sloppy plays that allowed Boston to stay in it, and it ultimately led to a tie game at the end of regulation.

By this point, the starters were out and we got to see what the bench could do. The 76ers had a chance at the end of regulation to win, and there was some hesitation from Labaron Philon Jr., who could have taken the shot and passed it up. That trend continued in overtime as the team went cold, and it seemed that Philon was a bit indecisive. Jameer Nelson Jr. tried to keep them in it with a late three, but it was basically over, and the 76ers lost their final preseason game 125-120.

LeBron James finished with eight points, eight rebounds, and eight assists.

This 76ers team is going to be hard to contend with after what we’ve seen from the starters. If they can remain healthy, there’s no doubt the playoffs are in the cards.