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The Wildest Stats From VJ Edgecombe's Historic Game 2 vs. Celtics

VJ Edgecombe made NBA history in the Sixers' Game 2 win over the Celtics on Tuesday.
Bryan Toporek|
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
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-Imagn Images

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Philadelphia 76ers

After putting up a 19-point, 11-rebound double-double in his first taste of postseason action in the Sixers' play-in tournament victory over the Orlando Magic last Wednesday, VJ Edgecombe had a dud of a game in his official playoff debut. He finished with 13 points on 6-of-16 shooting (including 0-of-5 from deep), three rebounds and three assists in the Sixesr' blowout loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 1 on Sunday.

Edgecombe made sure history didn't repeat itself Tuesday in Game 2. The Sixers' precocious rookie racked up a game-high 30 points on 12-of-20 shooting (including 6-of-10 from deep!), 10 rebounds, two assists and two steals in 35 minutes, helping guide his team to an unexpected 111-97 win.

In doing so, he carved his name in the NBA record books.

As Mike Lynch of Sports Reference noted, Edgecombe became the youngest player in NBA history to have at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in a playoff game. He's 11 days younger than Magic Johnson, the previous record-holder.

He's also the first Sixers rookie to have a 30-point game in the playoffs since Andrew Toney, the "Boston Strangler," did so against the Celtics in the 1981 Eastern Conference Finals, per Lynch.

Few rookies over the past 40 years have even had a 30-10 game in the playoffs. Zach Kram of The Ringer highlighted the exclusive company that Edgecombe joined Tuesday.

And prior to Tuesday, no rookie in NBA history ever had a game with 30 points, 10 rebounds and five made threes in the playoffs. Edgecombe is now the first to do so.

What's especially wild is that Edgecombe had a relatively nondescript first quarter. He finished with only four points on 2-of-4 shooting, one rebound and one assist in his seven-minute stint and missed the only three-pointer that he attempted.

That all changed in the second quarter. He racked up 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting (including 4-of-5 from deep), six rebounds, one assist and one steal while playing all 12 minutes.

In doing so, he had the highest-scoring quarter of any rookie in a playoff game since Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro in 2020, per ESPN's Tim Bontemps.

When Paul George learned about the extent of Edgecombe's historic night after the game, he was initially flabbergasted.

"I mean, he's been impressive all season long," George said. "When you think about it, how he started his first NBA game here in this building, I'm sure he was in a small percentage or small group of players that did what he did on that opening night. And then to put a whole season together to get to this point where he's showcasing who he is and his abilities, I've been saying it all year long, he's far past a rookie."

Edgecombe comes full circle

To George's point, Edgecombe officially began his NBA career with a road game against these same Celtics. And much like he did Tuesday, he lit them up in the season opener.

In that 117-116 win, Edgecombe finished with 34 points on 13-of-26 shooting (including 5-of-13 from deep), seven rebounds, three assists and one steal. He was the first rookie in NBA history to have at least 34 points, seven rebounds and three assists in his regular-season debut, and that's not even taking into account his five threes and one steal.

The Celtics have plenty of plus wing defenders in Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Derrick White, but going against a player like Edgecombe is where they miss Jrue Holiday the most. They don't have the type of physical, lockdown point-of-attack defender who can stymie Edgecombe across an entire series.

With Joel Embiid sidelined and Tyrese Maxey perhaps still dealing with the effects of his pinky injury, Edgecombe took it upon himself to be aggressive Tuesday. He looked to attack the Celtics' drop coverage by bombing away from deep without hesitation and snaking his way to the basket for mid-range pull-ups.

Now that Edgecombe has proved his ability to dissect the Celtics' defense, stopping him figures to become a focal point for them. That might only open up the floor further for Maxey, George and Kelly Oubre Jr.

Although the Celtics are still heavily favored to win this series, Edgecombe's historic Game 2 buys the Sixers a few more days to get Embiid back on the floor at some point. And if he gets on another heater in Philly like he did in Game 2, the roof might blow off the Wells Fargo Center.

There's a reason why Allen Iverson recently praised Edgecombe, particularly for the "dog" in him. Edgecombe put those intangibles on full display Tuesday against the Celtics.

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Unless otherwise noted, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Spotrac and salary-cap information via RealGM.

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Bryan Toporek
BRYAN TOPOREK

Bryan Toporek has been covering the Sixers for the past 15-plus years at various outlets, including Liberty Ballers, Bleacher Report, Forbes Sports and FanSided. Against all odds, he still trusts the Process.

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