Rookie Edgecombe stuns Celtics
- Philadelphia rookie VJ Edgecombe delivered a historic Game 2 performance to beat the Boston Celtics in their first-round series. (clutchpoints.com) - Boston entered Game 2 largely healthy, with Ron Harper Jr. listed probable for a right ankle sprain and Jayson Tatum returning from an Achilles absence. ( ) - The upset and Tatum’s quick ramp-up added drama to the East first-round narrative and playoff storylines. ( )
V.J. Edgecombe put up 30 points and 10 rebounds Tuesday night as Philadelphia beat Boston 111-97 in Game 2 and evened the first-round series at 1-1. (apnews.com) The National Basketball Association said Edgecombe became the first rookie with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in a playoff game since Tim Duncan on May 5, 1998. The series now shifts to Philadelphia for Game 3 on Friday, April 24. (nba.com) Edgecombe did it after taking a hard fall early in the game, while Tyrese Maxey added 29 points for the 76ers. Boston led 28-25 after one quarter, but Philadelphia won the second 37-26 and stayed in front the rest of the way. (apnews.com, espn.com) The result landed two days after Boston’s 123-91 win in Game 1, when Jayson Tatum returned to postseason play less than a year after an Achilles rupture. Yahoo Sports reported before Game 2 that Tatum was “still just trying to ramp up” even after a strong opener. (sports.yahoo.com, sports.yahoo.com) Boston entered Game 2 close to full strength. CelticsBlog and Yahoo Sports both reported that Ron Harper Jr. was listed probable with a right ankle sprain, while Tatum was available after making his return from the Achilles injury on March 6. (celticsblog.com, sports.yahoo.com) Philadelphia was still without Joel Embiid, who remained sidelined after an appendectomy, so the scoring load fell more heavily on Maxey and Edgecombe. AP reported that the rookie answered with the biggest playoff game of his young career as the 76ers took back home-court advantage. (apnews.com, sports.yahoo.com) For Boston, the loss turned the series into a quicker test of Tatum’s recovery timeline. The Athletic reported Wednesday that dropping Game 2 means “more work” for a Celtics team that no longer has the cushion of a sweep. (nytimes.com) For Philadelphia, the opener looked like a mismatch; Game 2 looked different once Edgecombe started attacking Boston’s defense and finishing possessions on the glass. By Friday night in Philadelphia, the rookie’s 30-point game will be the number hanging over the series. (sports.yahoo.com, nba.com)
