VJ Edgecombe scores 19 points, Jaylen Brown sits out Sixers’ preseason loss at Boston Celtics

BOSTON — Jaylen Brown will wait to make his first appearance as a 76er against his former team.

The All-NBA guard was held out of the Sixers’ 144-106 preseason loss Saturday night at TD Garden, about three months after Brown was stunningly traded from Boston to its Eastern Conference rival in a blockbuster deal that sent Paul George and four draft picks from the Sixers to the Celtics.

Instead, Brown is expected to play for the first time against the Celtics in the Sixers’ Jan. 21 visit to Boston. Brown spent his first 10 NBA seasons with Boston, where he developed into a five-time All-Star, 2024 NBA champion, and Finals MVP.

Brown’s Sixers jerseys peppered the home crowd, including one that was split between Celtics green and Sixers red and said: “Jaylen Brown forever.”

George (13 points, five rebounds, four assists) did make his Celtics preseason debut Saturday against the Sixers. The former perennial All-Star averaged 16.7 points. 5.3 rebounds, four assists, and 1.8 steals in 78 games across two seasons in Philly, but struggled with multiple injury issues and served a 25-game suspension for violating the league’s anti-drug policy.

After the Sixers played their full star-studded starting five in the first half of Thursday’s preseason loss at the Brooklyn Nets, stars LeBron James and Joel Embiid also sat out Saturday’s matchup in Boston.

The Sixers will host the Celtics in their preseason finale Friday at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Their regular-season opener is Oct. 20 at the defending-champion New York Knicks.

The Sixers’ young backcourt connected in the opening minutes, when Maxey found Edgecombe for a baseline up-and-under finish.

That kickstarted Edgecombe’s latest huge outing inside TD Garden, leading the Sixers with 19 points, four steals, four assists, and three rebounds in 26 minutes. His night followed a historic 34-point rookie debut last season and an excellent first-round playoff performance in the Sixers’ upset of the Celtics.

Another Edgecombe highlight Saturday: A second-quarter finish through traffic for an old-fashioned three-point play.

Maxey, meanwhile, went 2-of-10 from the floor (1-of-6 from beyond the arc) for eight points in 18 minutes before sitting the entire second half. The All-NBA point guard also picked up three fouls and committed two turnovers.

With Brown, James, and Embiid all sitting out against the Celtics, Dean Wade, Justin Edwards, and Jabari Walker moved into the starting lineup.

Walker (14 points, five rebounds) perhaps took the most advantage, continuing his strong preseason as a small-ball center. That is a position the Sixers need reinforcements, following Ariel Hukporti’s season-ending Achilles surgery along with Adem Bona’s more short-term foot injury.

Wade also continued to flash the complementary versatility that made him one of the Sixers’ free-agency priorities. He spent some time guarding All-NBA wing Jayson Tatum — and 7-footer Mitchell Robinson while filling in at backup center when Walker rested. He also grabbed three rebounds in 20 minutes, and scored by cutting to the basket and burying a three-pointer.

Edwards (12 points, five rebounds) struggled in his extended minutes. He committed four turnovers and went scoreless on 0-for-2 shooting through three quarters, before re-entering the game with mostly deep reserves for the final period.

George received warm greetings from the Sixers, dapping up members of team security following his pregame warm-up and hugging Maxey before the jump ball.

Once the game tipped off, however, George initially appeared to be kicking off some rust in his preseason debut.

He went 3-of-10 from the floor — and seemingly bent over in relief when he finally hit a second-quarter three pointer — and lacked explosive movement on both ends early on. He did collect five steals, including one in the third quarter that he turned into a breakaway dunk.