76ers Stun Celtics Behind Edgecombe’s Historic Night, Tie Series 1-1
The Philadelphia 76ers, facing elimination in spirit if not in math, authored one of the most stunning turnarounds of the 2026 NBA postseason Tuesday night, defeating the Boston Celtics 111-97 at TD Garden to knot their first-round series at one game apiece. The victory was fueled by a historic performance from rookie VJ Edgecombe, who posted 30 points and 10 rebounds—making him the first rookie to achieve that stat line in the playoffs since Tim Duncan in 1998 and the youngest player ever to do so, surpassing Magic Johnson.
Philadelphia entered Game 2 as 14.5-point underdogs, still reeling from a demolition in the series opener and missing MVP center Joel Embiid, who remains sidelined following an appendectomy in Houston 12 days prior. Yet the 76ers flipped the script entirely. After Boston opened the game with a blistering 16-0 first-quarter run to seize a 26-13 lead, Philadelphia steadied itself behind Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey, who finished with 29 points and a series of dagger shots in the closing minutes.
Edgecombe, who famously opened his NBA career with 34 points in this same building back in October, played with a composure that belied his experience. Despite hobbling to the locker room twice after hard falls in the second and third quarters, the 6-foot-4 guard repeatedly attacked the Celtics’ drop coverage—deployed a staggering 69.7% of the time, the third-highest rate in a playoff game since player tracking began in 2013-14. He found his spots, rose up with confidence, and connected on 6-of-10 three-pointers. The 76ers as a team shot 19-for-39 from deep, a dramatic reversal from their 4-for-23 debacle in Game 1.
The Celtics, meanwhile, suffered from an all-too-familiar postseason malaise. Despite Jayson Tatum filling the stat sheet with 19 points, 14 rebounds, and 9 assists, and Jaylen Brown pouring in 36 points, Boston could not find its range from beyond the arc. The team finished 13-for-50 from three, with Tatum, Derrick White, and Sam Hauser combining to shoot a dismal 6-for-26. Even when the Celtics trimmed the deficit to 91-89 with 6:25 remaining and the TD Garden crowd roaring, they could not sustain the momentum.
It was Maxey who extinguished Boston’s hopes, draining consecutive pull-up three-pointers to push the lead back to eight and effectively seal the game. “VJ did his job,” Maxey said afterward. “He got us here. [When] they kind of cut the lead to two, I said, ‘All right, this is my time to close the game out.'”
Paul George contributed 19 points and offered high praise for the rookie. “I’ve been saying it all year long: He’s far surpassed being a rookie,” George noted. Coach Nick Nurse credited his team’s resilience after Boston’s explosive start, urging his players to “hang in there” and trust that the Celtics’ hot shooting would cool.
The series now shifts to South Philadelphia for Game 3 on Friday night, with the 76ers suddenly holding home-court advantage. Adding to the intrigue, Embiid has begun a strength and conditioning program, raising the possibility—however remote—of a return later in the series. For now, Philadelphia has proven it can not only survive without its superstar but can also dominate the defending champions on their home floor, thanks to a rookie making history and a backcourt that refused to yield.
