VJ Edgecombe Makes NBA History as 76ers Beat Celtics 111-97 to Tie Series

BOSTON -- VJ Edgecombe had 30 points and 10 rebounds while playing through pain after taking a hard fall early in the game, Tyrese Maxey scored 29 points and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Boston Celtics 111-97 on Tuesday night to tie their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series at one game apiece. Edgecombe connected on six of the 76ers' 19 3-pointers. At 20 years, 265 days old, he became the youngest player in NBA history to have 30 points and 10 rebounds in a playoff game, edging Magic Johnson, who was 20 years, 276 days old for his legendary 42-point, 15-rebound performance in Game 6 of the 1980 NBA Finals. Johnson famously started that game at center in place of an injured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Edgecombe is also the first rookie with 30 points and 10 rebounds in a playoff game since Tim Duncan had 33 and 10 in Game 1 of the 1998 Western Conference semifinals against the Jazz. Maxey also had nine assists as Philadelphia bounced back after getting blown out 123-91 in Game 1. "This is who we are. Game 1 was not who we are," Maxey said after Tuesday's game. The 76ers closed as a 13.5-point underdog at DraftKings Sportsbook, making this their largest upset win in any game since Jan. 29, 2005 (+13.5 at Mavericks), and their largest upset win in a playoff game in the past 35 years. The series shifts to Philadelphia for Game 3 on Friday. The Celtics cut a seven-point deficit at the start of the fourth quarter to 91-89 before an 11-0 run put the 76ers back in front 102-89 with just over four minutes to play. The Celtics pulled their starters with a little more than a minute remaining. Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 36 points. Jayson Tatum added 19 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists. After struggling from the field in Game 1, the 76ers needed much more from Maxey and Edgecombe. They got it, with the pair carrying the load for a team that shot 47.8% from the field, including 19-of-39 from the 3-point line. Boston was only 13-of-47 from the 3-point line and shot 39.3% from the field overall, while committing 13 turnovers that led to 16 points by the 76ers. Philadelphia, which was again without center Joel Embiid for Game 2 as he continues to go through a strength and conditioning program following an appendectomy on April 9, was twice without Edgecombe for brief stretches Tuesday. Edgecombe limped off in noticeable pain and went straight to the locker room for treatment in both the first and third quarters. He returned each time and kept scoring to help the 76ers build as much as a 13-point lead in the third. The intensity was high throughout the game and hit a high point in the opening minutes when Brown was assessed a technical foul after his emphatic one-handed dunk over Adem Bona that sent the 76ers big man to the court. Replays appeared to show that Brown's momentum after the jam carried him into contact with Bona, who fell to the court and left Brown in a hovering position over him. But referee Marc Davis didn't see it that way and called Brown for the tech. ESPN Research and The Associated Press contributed to this report.