NBA: VJ Edgecombe, Tyrese Maxey propel Sixers past Celtics to even series

Philadelphia 76ers duo VJ Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey combined for 11 three-pointers and 59 total points as the team responded strongly to even their Eastern Conference playoff series with the Boston Celtics. The 76ers won Game 2 by a commanding 111-97 margin on Tuesday, evening the series at 1-1.

The seventh-seeded Sixers shook off a disappointing Game 1 loss, in which they made just four three-pointers in a 123-91 defeat. Philadelphia’s offense turned the tables in Game 2, shooting an impressive 19-of-39 from beyond the arc, with help from Quentin Grimes, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Paul George, who each contributed a pair of three-pointers.

Edgecombe, the standout rookie, led the charge for the 76ers, finishing with 12-of-20 shooting, including 6-of-10 from three-point range. He also grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds. In his postgame interview, Edgecombe reflected on the team's shift in mindset: "This is who we are. Game 1 isn't who we are. We let our offense dictate our defense (on Sunday), and we didn't do that tonight."

Philadelphia’s offensive turnaround was mirrored on the defensive end. The 76ers held Boston to just 35-of-89 shooting from the field, effectively neutralizing the Celtics' offense outside of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. Brown led Boston with 36 points, while Tatum added 19 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. However, no other Celtic reached double-digit scoring, a stark contrast to Game 1, when all five Boston starters finished with at least 10 points.

Despite a strong 5-of-12 shooting performance from three-point range by Brown, Boston’s supporting cast struggled, with the rest of the team shooting a combined 8-for-38 from beyond the arc.

In addition to Edgecombe and Maxey’s stellar performances, Philadelphia received valuable contributions from George, who scored 19 points, and Oubre, who added 12. After being limited by foul trouble in Game 1, Andre Drummond provided a strong presence off the bench in Game 2, contributing 10 points and eight rebounds.

The 76ers will look to carry this momentum into the next game, as they seek to regain home-court advantage in the series.

— Field Level Media / Reuters