The Philadelphia 76ers needed to bounce back and do so quickly. A 32-point beatdown in Game 1 was not going to do the Sixers favors, as they were not only outplayed but also took a loss that gave the Boston Celtics momentum to take an imposing 2-0 series lead. With Joel Embiid out, the Celtics could very well have taken a 3-0 lead once the series shifted to Philadelphia. 

Fortunately for the Sixers, VJ Edgecombe came to play. 

Edgecombe entered Game 2 with the sense of urgency often seen when one’s team is facing elimination. The drives, the midrange shots, and the back-breaking 3-pointers silenced a Boston crowd that was looking for blood. In the end, it was the Bahamian that had the last laugh, or rather, wink on a night where he took names and records with him. 

From the jump, Edgecombe was eager to contribute in his rookie campaign and it was just what the injury-riddled Philadelphia squad needed. From Embiid to Jared McCain, the absences meant there were more reps for those that were healthy and Edgecombe was one of the beneficiaries of these new opportunities. He didn’t disappoint as he was an early contender for Rookie of the Year and the Sixers had no qualms shipping away McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder. 

Of course, there were other reasons for McCain’s departure and the sophomore is definitely in a great situation with the Thunder, but the emergence of Edgecombe addressed all the needs Philadelphia had entering this campaign. Edgecombe is a two-way contributor who can create his offense and provide stout defense against many of the game’s best wing players. 

His athleticism is a great complement to Tyrese Maxey and is reminiscent of a former Sixer in Jimmy Butler. Together with Paul George, they form one of the league’s most dynamic backcourts, health be willing. For his part, Edgecombe led Philadelphia in games played and was tied for third among rookies with 75 regular season games played. If he can play 70 or so games in the coming years, the sky is the limit for Edgecombe. 

In reality, all those games played allowed VJ Edgecombe to sharpen his skillset and gain the necessary experience to treat his first two postseason games as if they were just two contests in an 82-game regular season. The ebbs and flows of the game were evident in the road games against the Boston Celtics and sometimes the best way to deal with this kind of adversity is to play through it. 

And in the end, it was Edgecombe who looked like a cool vet in a challenging environment. Thanks to him, it’s like the Philadelphia 76ers were given a new lease on life, at least for the next few games.