VJ Edgecombe announced himself on the biggest stage with a 30-point, 10-rebound masterclass as the Philadelphia 76ers stunned the Boston Celtics 111-97 in Game 2 to level their first-round series at 1-1.
It was the first time a rookie had posted those numbers in a playoff game since Tim Duncan in 1998, and it made Edgecombe the youngest player in NBA postseason history to achieve the feat, surpassing Magic Johnson.
The performance was all the more remarkable given the circumstances. The 76ers entered as 14.5-point underdogs without Joel Embiid, who continues to recover from an emergency appendectomy, and had been obliterated in Game 1.
Boston led 26-13 after a 16-0 first-quarter run and still cut the deficit to two points in the fourth quarter before Tyrese Maxey ended the contest with back-to-back pull-up threes.
Edgecombe finished 6-of-10 from three, and Maxey added 29 points, with the pair combining for 59. The 76ers shot 19-of-39 from deep as a team after going 4-of-23 in Game 1.
Paul George, who added 19 points, could not hide his admiration for his young team-mate.
“When you think about it, how he started his first NBA game here in this building, and I’m sure he was in a small percentage, or a small group of players that did what he did on opening night, and then to put a whole season together and get to this point where he’s showcasing who he is and his abilities. I’ve been saying it all year long: He’s far surpassed being a rookie.”
Edgecombe, when reflecting on the performance, added: “We knew where we were going to get the shots from, where the help was going to be at. So just credit my teammates for just, we kept trusting each other. Everyone can make a play on the court, so we kept trusting each other and I was in the spot and they wanted me to shoot the ball. It wouldn’t have been right if I didn’t shoot the ball.”
Jaylen Brown led Boston with 36 points and Tatum posted 19 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists, but the Celtics finished 13-of-50 from three. Game 3 is Friday night in Philadelphia.
Lakers take 2-0 lead as Smart stifles Durant
The Los Angeles Lakers moved 2-0 up against the Houston Rockets with a 101-94 victory, a game defined by Marcus Smart’s all-round brilliance on the returning Kevin Durant.
Durant, who had missed Game 1 with a right knee injury, scored 23 points on his return but struggled with nine turnovers – a playoff career worst – and went 1-of-3 with three turnovers across the 18 possessions in which Smart was his primary defender.
Smart finished with 25 points on 8-of-13 shooting, including five three-pointers, and grabbed five steals.
LeBron James led the Lakers with 28 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, and was unstinting in his praise of Smart’s impact, both in this game and on the group as a whole.
“He’s not afraid of the moment. He’s always been assigned some of the best players that have ever played this game in his career. So, to have someone like that, it just brings a lot of composure to our team. Especially when we’re missing – I hate to beat a dead horse, but it’s two big horses – with AR [Austin Reaves] and Luka [Doncic] out. So, to have that, it means a lot to our ballclub.”
Luke Kennard added 23 points after his 27 in Game 1. Houston cut a 15-point deficit to five with under three minutes left before Smart hit a fifth three of the night to settle the outcome.
Wembanyama enters concussion protocol
The biggest concern of the night came in San Antonio, where Victor Wembanyama was taken out of Game 2 in the second quarter after a hard fall while driving to the basket, with Jrue Holiday defending. The Spurs confirmed he had entered concussion protocol and would not return.
Portland Trail Blazers took full advantage of his absence. Scoot Henderson posted a playoff career-high 31 points to lead the Blazers to a 106-103 comeback win, erasing a 14-point deficit to level the series at 1-1.
