Shorthanded 76ers, Tyrese Maxey maul Celtics to even up NBA Playoffs series originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Philadelphia 76ers came out swinging in Game 2 of their NBA Playoffs series against the Boston Celtics. Despite not having Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe sucked the life out of TD Garden before halftime. Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Coach Joe Mazzulla were just not equipped enough which led to a 111-97 demolition and an even first-round series.
The first quarter of this NBA Playoffs game was nothing special. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum were doing their work against the 76ers for an early three-point lead. Then, V.J. Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey just erupted which led to a 76ers barrage in the second quarter. This single-quarter outburst had them scoring 37 points while the Celtics only notched 26 points.
From there, it was all about running away with the win. Maxey finished the game with an impressive 29-point explosion after making 39% of his shots from the field. The 76ers also saw him rise to become a prolific NBA Playoffs playmaker as he dropped nine assists too. Defensively, he did all the work to prevent the Celtics from getting any momentum through his four rebounds and two steals.
Edgecombe, on the other hand, had a historic night. Coach Nick Nurse entrusted him with 35 minutes of playing time and he did not disappoint. The 76ers rookie scored a team-high 30 points after going ballistic to knock down 60% of his field goals and 60% of his three-pointers. More than that, he was also a pesky defender with 10 rebounds and two steals.
The secret to the 76ers tying up this NBA Playoffs series? Coach Nurse forced their rivals to live or die by the three-point line. The Celtics chucked up 50 attempts from beyond the arc and they only sank 26% of them. The 76ers defense also stole the ball six times and were able to get their opponents to turn the ball over 11 times.
The 76ers are awake because Edgecombe and Maxey breathed life into them. Has their longing for Embiid in the NBA Playoffs now died down or are the Celtics going to go on a hot streak starting in Game 3?