BOSTON — For a few minutes Tuesday night, it seemed VJ Edgecombe and the Sixers’ night would be defined by his first-quarter crash to the TD Garden floor after he leapt after a defensive rebound.
Then Edgecombe showed up on the Sixers’ sideline and reminded everyone that he’s more than just a rising star.
In the second playoff game of his rookie year, Edgecombe was downright heroic in a 30-point, 10-rebound performance. Backcourt mate Tyrese Maxey was also excellent in the fourth quarter of a 29-point, nine-assist night and the seventh-seeded Sixers flew home with their first-round playoff series vs. the Celtics tied at 1-1.
“He’s a tough kid,” Andre Drummond said of Edgecombe. “His confidence is something I haven’t seen in a very long time. He plays with a swag that a lot of guys don’t play with when they’re coming up.
“I’m happy that he’s here. He’s playing at a very high level and we need more from him next game, too. So he has to stay prepared.”
Based on all the evidence of his rookie season, readiness shouldn’t be an issue for Edgecombe the rest of this series. Time and again, he’s elevated his play in the clutch, shrugged off rocky shooting starts and attacked whatever’s in front of him.
Even as he’s quizzed teammates on NBA life and digested a constant flow of new information, nothing about Edgecombe’s day-to-day demeanor has betrayed uncertainty.
Has he ever doubted himself as a rookie?
“I just try not to overthink it,” he said. “I try not to put pressure on myself. Everyone else is already putting pressure on us to perform, so I’m not trying to put pressure on myself.
“I’m around a great group of guys that also help me and keep instilling confidence in me just to keep going, regardless of who’s on the floor, who’s not on the floor. It’s just a big shoutout to my teammates and my coaches.”
Those teammates sometimes forget exactly how young Edgecombe is.
In the middle of glowing about Edgecombe’s game at the postgame press conference podium, 35-year-old Paul George looked to his right.
“Are you 21 yet?” George asked.
“No, 20,” Edgecombe said with a grin.
Edgecombe is set to celebrate his 21st birthday on July 30. He became the youngest NBA player ever to post at least 30 points and at least 10 rebounds in a playoff game. The last rookie to do so was Hall of Fame power forward Tim Duncan in 1998.
“It’s just impressive, man,” George said of the Sixers’ rookie guard. “Thirty and 10, but it was just what we needed in moments throughout this game where he took over. He kind of just put us at ease when I wasn’t on the floor or Tyrese wasn’t on the floor. He just put us at ease, got to his spots and made big plays. And he had some big rebounds as well.”
There’s still room to grow, but Edgecombe’s jump shooting progress has been exceptional since his freshman season at Baylor. He was fine as an outside shooter in college (34 percent from three-point range), but Edgecombe wasn’t especially smooth off the dribble and lacked craft in the mid-range.
Edgecombe has increased his three-point volume in the NBA and sharpened his mid-range skills. He’s been happy to punish defenses that play drop pick-and-roll coverage and let him walk into pull-up jumpers, give him space in transition, or leave him open for catch-and-shoot chances. After an 0-for-5 day in Game 1, he shot 6 for 10 beyond the arc Tuesday.
“I think we knew where the shots were going to come, where the help was going to be at,” Edgecombe said. “Credit to my teammates. We kept trusting each other. Everyone can make a play on the court. … I was in the spot and they wanted me to shoot the ball.
“It wouldn’t have been right if I didn’t shoot the ball, so I had to shoot the ball. They were wide-open shots. Try to get my teammates their assists.”
Edgecombe also made a visit back to the locker room early in the third quarter. Once more, he returned and thrived.
He had a good-natured but cagy veteran’s answer on his health postgame.
“I just landed on my back, but I’m good. I was able to finish the game, so I’m good,” Edgecombe said, smiling. “That’s all I got for you. Ain’t nothing wrong with me, I’m good.”
About the Author
Discover more from USA NEWS
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
