VJ Edgecombe Went for 30 and 10 in Boston and the 76ers Just Stole Game 2 From the Defending Champs

The 76ers were left for dead after Game 1. Celtics beat them by 32. Joel Embiid is out recovering from an appendectomy. Everybody and their mother said this series was a wrap.

Then the kid showed up.

VJ Edgecombe went for 30 points and 10 rebounds in a hostile TD Garden and the 76ers took Game 2 from the defending champs 111-97. Home court advantage gone. Series tied 1-1. Philly heads home Thursday looking like a real team again.

If you don’t know VJ Edgecombe yet, today is the day you learn. Bahamian kid, 20 years old, the 76ers drafted him third overall last summer. He was already having a strong rookie year. But going for 30-10 in your first real playoff game on the road against Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown? That’s a different level.

Maxey was cooking too

Tyrese Maxey is the one who was supposed to be the star and he played like it. 29 points and 9 assists. Iced the game with some big shots in the fourth quarter. Between him and Edgecombe, they combined for 59 points. That’s more than half of Philly’s total.

The two of them shot a combined 11-for-22 from three. When those two get hot, this offense works even without Embiid in the middle. Kelly Oubre gave them some scoring. Andre Drummond held down the paint enough. The 76ers don’t need to outscore the Celtics, they just need to stay close and let Maxey and Edgecombe make plays in crunch time.

That’s exactly what happened Tuesday.

What happened to Boston?

The Celtics shot terrible. Simple as that. Tatum had his moments but nothing clicked for the group. They looked like a team that won Game 1 by 32 and showed up thinking Game 2 was gonna be the same thing. It wasn’t. Philly punched them in the mouth early and Boston never quite figured out how to punch back.

The Garden crowd was quiet in the fourth quarter. That tells you everything. When Boston is rolling, that place sounds like a rocket launch. Tuesday night it sounded like a library. Celtics fans know what that means.

Embiid update

No official word yet on when Joel might come back. The appendectomy was recent and those surgeries take a minute. Best guess is he’s out at least through Game 4, maybe longer. The good news for 76ers fans is the team is actually playing hard without him. The ball moves. Maxey has more freedom. Edgecombe is getting real touches instead of just waiting in the corner.

If Philly can win Game 3 at home, this series is officially a real thing. Boston was the favorite all year. They’re still the better team on paper. But playoffs are weird and momentum matters and right now the momentum is all Philadelphia.

The big picture

This is why you watch the playoffs. The Celtics were cruising all season. Best record in the East. Home court everywhere. Everybody just penciling them into the conference finals. Then a rookie guard nobody outside of Philly was really talking about goes for 30-10 on the road in his playoff debut and the whole series flips.

Basketball is undefeated. Tune in Thursday.