76ers-Celtics takeaways: Rookie VJ Edgecombe proves to be a problem as Philadelphia evens series

BOSTON — After the Boston Celtics’ blowout victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in Recreation 1 of their first-round playoff sequence, it appeared maybe no staff would need any a part of a targeted Celtics squad at full energy.

Seems, the 76ers weren’t fazed within the least.

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Philadelphia evened the sequence in Recreation 2 Tuesday night time at TD Backyard with a convincing 111-97 victory through which it out-shot Boston and remained in management for a lot of the night.

Listed below are the important thing takeaways for the way the 76ers claimed home-court benefit:

VJ Edgecombe goes to be unbelievable

The 76ers are in good fingers within the backcourt with Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. In Philadelphia’s regular-season opener, the 2 guards mixed for 74 factors on 50 photographs, displaying a blueprint for the way to beat Boston: win the backcourt matchup.

Maxey was his normal spectacular self Tuesday night time, totaling 29 factors and 9 assists, and the 76ers wanted his electrical energy on the forefront of their offense. Nevertheless it was Edgecombe, the rookie, who got here up huge as a launch valve for Maxey, totaling 30 factors in solely the second playoff recreation of his profession. 13 of them got here off assists from Maxey.

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Edgecombe even helped maintain Philly’s offense within the absence of Maxey and Paul George on the finish of the third quarter, protecting Boston at bay. To try this on this stage as a 20-year-old in opposition to this Celtics protection says all we have to learn about his future. That he may end third in Rookie of the Yr voting — behind Dallas’ Cooper Flagg and Charlotte’s Kon Knueppel — says as a lot about this rookie class.

Philadelphia’s 3-point taking pictures

After taking pictures 4-for-23 (17.4%) from 3-point vary in a 32-blowout loss in Recreation 1 of their first-round playoff sequence in opposition to the Celtics, the 76ers wanted to each try extra and make extra 3s in Recreation 2 if they’d any probability. Mission achieved.

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The Sixers launched nearly as many 3s (19) within the first half of Recreation 2 as they did in Recreation 1 and made greater than half of them (10), staking themselves to a 62-54 lead. They completed 19-for-39 (48.7%) from deep, outshooting the Celtics (13 of fifty), who completed fourth in complete makes an attempt and eighth in accuracy through the common season.

Maxey and Edgecombe made 11 of twenty-two mixed makes an attempt. Paul George, Quentin Grimes and Kelly Oubre added two apiece. Even Andre Drummond bought in on the enjoyable.

The taking pictures opened the ground in opposition to a Boston protection that had packed the paint within the sequence opener. Philadelphia didn’t take benefit in Recreation 1. Sixers head coach Nick Nurse even advised his staff had handed up some open photographs of their blowout loss, hesitating after a poor taking pictures begin. That wasn’t an issue in Recreation 2.

Most spectacular about Philadelphia’s win? The Celtics bought strong video games from each Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, and nonetheless bought labored. Their benefit was on the wing, the place Philly solely has 35-year-old George and … Oubre to cease them. I’m unsure Justin Edwards or Dominick Barlow is scaring them off the bench, both.

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Brown totaled 36 factors, seven rebounds and 4 assists in defeat. Tatum was one help shy of a triple-double (19 factors, 14 rebounds and 9 assists). Granted, they mixed to shoot 19-of-43 (44.1%) from the sphere, however they made 40% of their 3s (7 of 20) and have been the 2 greatest gamers on the ground, if not for Maxey and Edgecombe.