As is the nature of things in the modern NBA, the Philadelphia 76ers dashed the Boston Celtics by making use of the 3-point shot in Game 2 of their first-round matchup. Philly’s star backcourt of Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe combined for nearly 60 points and 11 triples, as the two young superstars shot at 41 percent and 60 percent clips from beyond the arc, respectively.
The key moment in Tuesday’s game came in the second quarter, as the Sixers outscored Boston 37-26. Edgecombe was electric in this segment of play, scoring 19 points while converting 6/9 FG attempts, missing just one of his five 3-pointers. As the game concluded with a dagger step-back 3-pointer from the former Baylor Bear, Edgecombe found the camera and gave it a cheeky wink. The clip then went viral across social media platforms, further boosting what ended as an incredible night for Sixers fans.
Maxey, his veteran leader and partner in crime, played exactly as he should. He led all players on the court in the final frame, scoring 12 points and nailing a trio of triples to help keep the Celtics at bay. Should Joel Embiid’s nagging knee injuries continue to derail his Hall of Fame career, general manager Daryl Morey can sleep easily knowing that he has a playoff-caliber scorer in Maxey who is clearly ready to meet the moment.
However, all the momentum Philadelphia has entering Game 3 can go away in the blink of an eye. At the end of the day, Game 2 was just that, one contest in a best-of-seven series. Boston is also known to come back from a series in which they drop a game. Examples of this can be found against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2024 and the Orlando Magic in 2025; the Celtics were able to gentlemen sweep a team in the playoffs after one bad loss.
That leaves one question: Can Maxey and Edgecombe catch lightning in a bottle once more against the mighty Celtics as the series moves to the City of Brotherly Love?
Maxey, Edgecombe's 3-Point Shooting Crucial to Sixers' Upset Chances
If the Sixers want to replicate Game 2 as the series shifts to the friendly confines of Xfinity Mobile Arena, then Maxey will have to cash in on multiple attempts from the top of the key. On Tuesday, Maxey drilled all five of his 3-pointers from the top, including one shot deep from downtown. The bulk of these shot attempts could come from simple isolation plays where Maxey proves he really is an elite shotmaker, to the point where it makes no difference who is guarding him. One way for him to take advantage of this is by using screens from veteran Andre Drummond, who has been key to Philly’s game plan off the bench.
One little-known fact about Edgecombe’s shot selection is that he shoots right-corner 3-pointers better than 93 percent of the league; however, he only seeks this shot out, though, on 20 percent of his 3-point attempts. With everything on the line in the playoffs, the Sixers will need to pull out all the stops against Boston, so using Edgecombe’s secret weapon could be crucial in stealing another game away from the series favorites.
Another key factor to a Sixers series win will be the defensive play and shot-making of their experienced forward tandem of Paul George and Kelly Oubre Jr. The two are mostly known as offensive-minded players rather than lockdown defenders, but they did very well switching off and defending Jayson Tatum, holding him to 19 points in Game 2.
With the success of the Sixers dynamic backcourt, the frontcourt of George and Oubre Jr. should be set up for big things as Boston pays the bulk of its attention on Maxey and Edgecombe. It will be a serious test, but Philadelphia is closer to beating the Celtics than most people may believe.
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