VJ Edgecombe shines again at TD Garden, sending his terrific rookie season to the playoffs’ second round

BOSTON — TD Garden is where VJ Edgecombe introduced himself to the NBA world.

And where he winked at a television camera in the midst of a historic playoff performance.

And, now, where he helped the 76ers finish off their comeback from down three games to one — and vanquish their Celtics playoff demons — to stunningly catapult themselves into the second round.

Egdecombe totaled 23 points, six rebounds, and four assists in Saturday night’s thrilling Game 7 victory, as a fantastic complement to stars Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. It was the most points by a Sixers rookie in a Game 7, the electric guard’s latest on-court accomplishment in a debut season full of them. And Edgecombe continues to ooze the combination of poise and confidence — even in a frenzied, high-pressure road environment — that impresses even his most veteran teammates.

“He’s special, and he’s been special,” standout wing Paul George said. “And he’s shown it since Day 1.”

While sitting courtside prior to the Sixers’ morning shootaround, Edgecombe was asked to reminisce about playing his first NBA game in this building — a 34-point outburst — and the successful path since then. The 20-year-old acknowledged it was “crazy to think about” the full-circle nature of it all, but that all previous visits to TD Garden should go “out the window.”

“I just have to just step up my game and be aggressive,” Edgecombe said then of his expectations for Game 7.

He got that opportunity early, when the Celtics’ defenders helped off him and left him open to shoot. Scoring nine first-quarter points on 4-of-5 from the floor “helped with my confidence and helped with the flow,” he said. He did not hesitate in firing 11 three-pointers, making five, including one late in the third that gave the Sixers their largest lead, at 85-66.

That let-it-fly mindset stood out to Maxey, after Edgecombe went 10-of-38 from deep in the series’ previous six games.

“He shot the ball every time he was open,” Maxey said. “That’s special, because people get gun shy and they stop shooting, and he didn’t stop shooting. He even shot some in the fourth quarter, I was like, ‘Whoo, OK, cool. Pull-up three. Good shot.’”

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Perhaps more impressive to coach Nick Nurse was when Edgecombe called for the defensive assignment on Celtics guard Derrick White coming out of halftime. White, who had struggled with his shot throughout this series, had gone off for 19 first-half points for a Boston team missing star Jayson Tatum. In the third, White only scored two points on 1-of-7 shooting (0-of-5 from beyond the arc) and “a lot of that was VJ,” Nurse said.

“Those are the things that make a huge difference in games like this,” Nurse said.

Perhaps it is unsurprising that Edgecombe met the moment, given how his rookie season has unfolded.

After being drafted third overall last summer, Edgecombe earned Nurse’s trust to become an immediate starter. He was an impact player on both ends, finishing the regular season averaging 16 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.4 steals and placing third in voting on an exceptional ballot for the NBA’s Rookie of the Year. Edgecombe also gained quick respect from teammates, as evidenced by the obvious camaraderie with Maxey and the 1-on-1 individual on-court sessions with George.

“It’s a good thing when your veteran guys expect so much out of a rookie,” George said. “ … When he does make a mistake, he makes 10 plays that kind of counter the mistake. He’s very coachable. He stays in the game. And he’s just learning.”

The postseason has already delivered a new set of teaching moments.

After Nurse called Edgecombe’s Play-In Tournament performance “a little wild,” the rookie echoed that he was “‘tweaking’ a little bit.” His “Welcome to the Playoffs” moment, Edgecombe said candidly, was when the Sixers got smacked by 32 points in Game 1 in Boston. But Edgecombe kept peppering teammates with questions — “They’re probably annoyed, but I don’t care,” he said — and vowed to learn every day leading up to Game 7.

“His demeanor and him being so calm in the moment,” Maxey said of what Edgecombe did best Saturday. “That was big-time, too.”

Asked late Saturday what he will ultimately take away from his first playoff series and Game 7, Edgecombe acknowledged, “I’m going to be so honest, I don’t know right now.” His turnaround is tight to Monday’s Game 1 of their second-round series against the New York Knicks — which also represents another full-circle moment.

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While playing his final two high school seasons at nearby Long Island Lutheran, Edgecombe was inside Madison Square Garden for Game 2 of the 2024 first-round series between the Sixers and Knicks. He remembers when former Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo’s game-winning three-pointer shook the building.

Edgecombe also thrived in his first two regular-season games in the historic arena, playing lockdown defense on All-Star Jalen Brunson, surpassing 20 points in both outings, and regularly unleashing his athleticism. Now to be a part of a playoff series against these rivals?

“Knowing the intensity and all that,” Edgecombe said, “I’m just super excited to get out there.”

Advancing to that series, however, required another beyond-his-years Edgecombe performance in Boston. Entering Saturday, it was possible that his final visit to TD Garden this season would serve as a fitting bookend to his terrific rookie campaign.

Instead, it marked another significant checkpoint along the way.

“I’m just happy to play basketball,” he said, “to still be playing basketball.”