VJ Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey were the engines for the Philadelpha 76ers, leading them to a 111-97 against the Boston Celtics
The Philadelphia 76ers responded in a major way on April 21st, beating the Boston Celtics 111-97 to even the series 1-1.
After Boston controlled Game 1, Game 2 was much more competitive from the start, with Philadelphia being able to pull away thanks to timely shotmaking and exploiting Boston's defensive game plan.
The first quarter was a back-and-forth affair, with neither team able to fully pull away. Boston led 28-25 after one, and the Celtics looked like they were primed for another great performance. Maxey scored 10 in the frame on inefficient shooting, and Paul George had six points, but the bigger story was Boston's coverage and how it didn't seem as impactful as it was in the first game. The help defense was more aggressive, as Philadelphia had no issues leaving players completely unchecked on the perimeter to focus on Maxey.
The second quarter became the turning point. Philadelphia outscored Boston 37-26 and went into the break with an eight-point lead. The Sixers were cold from three to start the frame, but they caught fire to end the frame, knocking down 10 of their final 13 threes.
VJ Edgecombe was the engine behind this surge, scoring 16 of his 20 first-half points in the second quarter alone and knocking down four threes in five minutes. Most of these three-pointers were wide open as a result of Boston focusing too much on Maxey driving and going downhill. Quentin Grimes and Paul George also benefited from the additional space as they both knocked down threes to help swing the momentum.
That pattern carried into the third quarter, where Boston briefly tried to chip away, but Philadelphia kept finding answers. Paul George scored the first five points after halftime, helping the Sixers push the lead to 13, and the offense looked more organized than it had in the first frame.
The Celtics fought back thanks to Jaylen Brown having 13 of his 36 points in the third quarter; nobody else shot well to support him. This was a theme for the Celtics all game, as the team shot just 39% from the field and 26% from the three-point line.
By the fourth quarter, the game had shifted fully in Philadelphia's favor. Boston cut the margin to two, but Maxey answered with back-to-back threes that sparked an 11-0 run and effectively ended the night. He finished the night with 29 points, while Edgecombe added 30. Jayson Tatum shot just 8-19 from the field, and Derrick White finished with eight points on 3-12 shooting. The Celtics' shooting woes were only made worse by their defense being punished due to over-committing to Maxey.
Boston is hoping they can bounce back in Game 3 with a better shooting night and a more balanced defensive game plan, while Philadelphia is hoping they can continue to shoot well on their home floor.
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Wes Dixon is a contributing writer to 76ersRoundtable. He can be reached at dixonwesley286@gmail.com.