VJ Edgecombe didn’t lead the Sixers in scoring Wednesday night, but he was one of their most important players, delivering the exact type of game they needed in their play-in matchup against the Orlando Magic.
Edgecombe’s relentless rebounding and transition offense helped the Sixers pull away late to secure a victory and lock up the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, avoiding the uncertainty of a second play-in game. This win also allowed the Sixers to set the stage with the Boston Celtics and go into that matchup with some confidence.
Orlando came in with the advantage in size with long, rangy forwards and capable centers in Wendell Carter Jr. and Goga Bitadze. Their size would suggest they could control the boards, but Edgecombe stepped up and contributed mightily there. He finished the night as one of the game’s most impactful rebounders, pulling down 11. He repeatedly crashed the boards from the wing, securing rebounds amongst the bigs and hunting down loose rebounds on the floor.
Several of Philadelphia’s most important scoring sequences come directly after Edgecombe secured contested rebounds and pushed the ball himself. Some of those moments helped dictate the tempo due to his nonstop motor.
“He always just seems to make winning basketball plays, whether it’s, we don’t know how or where he is at, and somehow, he comes up with a huge rebound. Just flying over top (of) someone, or chasing the ball down, or getting his hands in a pile, he just has so many intangibles that contribute to winning.” Paul George said postgame.
The rookie, who has exceeded expectations, continued to show he can step up when needed on Wednesday night. To go along with his 11 rebounds, he scored 19 points, dazzled in transition and took on the tougher matchups on defense along with Paul George.
He made it a point to get into transition as much as he could with two dazzling sequences that hyped the crowd and his team. One came close to the end of the first half when he was fouled by Orlando’s Jalen Suggs while going to the rim on a fastbreak and was able to spin, not travel and lay the ball up for an and-one opportunity. There was another fastbreak where he took the ball right into Suggs' chest while laying it up, and then bumped Suggs into the padding under the basketball. He received a technical foul, but it riled up his teammates and the crowd.
“I ain’t scared of nobody. I’m going to be honest. I’m going to guard regardless of who you are. I’m going to try,” Edgecombe said. “And I ain’t scared, I ain’t going to back up if you’re running at me. You just gotta run me over or something, man.”
On a postseason stage, the rookie showed he can compete on the postseason stage. If his season is any indication, he has the confidence to step up when it matters and has no fear for a young player in the NBA. His confidence and intangibles will be very important in the Sixers’ matchups with the Boston Celtics. His teammates have no doubt he can make a difference.
“[Edgecombe is] built for the playoffs,” George said after Wednesday’s win.
MORE: Joel Embiid released from hospital; no timetable for return
