Apr 21, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Vj Edgecombe (77) attempts a three-point basket against the Boston Celtics in the first half of a game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images Brian Fluharty
BOSTON — Late in the first quarter on a missed Boston jumper, VJ Edgecombe soared high in the air to try and grab a rebound, tangled with teammate Kelly Oubre Jr. and the Celtics' Sam Hauser.
Edgecombe's legs got taken out from under him and he landed hard on his butt, something he did earlier this year that caused him to miss three games. He limped off the court and headed to the Sixers locker room, his availability for the rest of the night in question.
It didn't take long for the rookie to return, as he started the second quarter. And it didn't take long for him to take over the game, as he scored 16 points in that quarter, en route to 30 points as the Sixers pulled a stunner of a win, 111-97. The Sixers outscored the Celtics 37-26 in that decisive second frame.
Somehow, after a 32-point blowout loss on Sunday, the Sixers found energy, grit and made shots to tie the best-of-seven series at 1-1 with Game 3 set to go at 7 p.m. on Friday in Philadelphia.
Tyrese Maxey added 29 for the Sixers, while Paul George had 19 and Oubre contributed 12.
Edgecombe started the third quarter limping badly, as if the injury had stiffened up on him, and had to leave the game less than two minutes into the half. But he returned and when the Celtics cut the lead to three at 77-74, Edgecombe outscored the Celtics 7-3 the rest of the quarter for an 84-77 lead going into the final quarter.
His second quarter thrust life into a Sixers team that seemed so without it on Sunday. But a hard Monday practice and long film session allowed them to find some answers. And the Celtics didn't help themselves much. After starting the game by making five of 11 threes, they missed 15 of their next 18 and the Sixers just kept making big baskets and timely stops at the defensive end.
"No way we should be shooting 20 threes if we're trying to beat Boston," said Edgecombe of the loss on Sunday. "You're going to miss. If we go perfect from the field, I think we should all get tested or something like that. You have to have the confidence to keep shooting the ball. We've just got to keep shooting the ball, regardless of makes or misses. We generate good shots and if that's the best shot possible, we've got to shoot it."
They did Tuesday, as the Sixers drained 17-of-39 from beyond the arc. The Celtics began the game by making five of their first 11 from deep, then missed 17 of their next 20 as the Sixers were able to cling to their lead they had built in the second quarter.
You had the feeling throughout the Celtics were going to find themselves at some point and pull it out. That feeling grew larger in the fourth when Tatum hit a three and Brown made a mid-range jumper to cut the lead to two at 91-89. But Maxey answered with a pair of threes and the lead got to 97-89 with 5:05 to go.
When the Sixers needed contributions from others, they got it. Oubre didn't make his first basket until the final minute of the first, then came up with multiple big shots. Justin Edwards started the fourth quarter with the Sixers leading by seven. After the Celtics quickly cut it to two and gained a ton of momentum, Edwards calmly drained a three late in the shot clock and with 9:51 to go in the game for an 89-82 lead.
They made all the plays and now surprisingly will return to Philadelphia with a tied series. Not many saw this coming.
