Philly stuns Boston, rides Edgecombe’s hot hands to tie series at 1-all

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Spoiler alert.

No brooms will be drawn, and there will be no sweep.

Talking about the heart of an underdog, the Philadelphia 76ers embodied every bit of it as they shocked the Boston Celtics, 111-97, in Game 2 of the ongoing Eastern Conference NBA playoffs on April 22, 2026.

The impressive win helped the undermanned Philadelphia squad equalize the series at 1-all, while spoiling every 4-0 prediction that the majority of NBA analysts and basketball fans made days before their first-round matchup kicked off.

After trailing by as much as 13 points in the first quarter, Philadelphia flipped the switch in the following frame, exploding for 37 points to cap the first half with an eight-point lead, 62-54.

The 76ers wrapped up the second quarter with a momentum-boosting 18-6 scoring run, spearheaded by the trio of VJ Edgecombe, Tyrese Maxey, and Quentin Grimes.

Edgecombe played the catalyst role as one of the best rookies in this year’s class kicked off the team’s red-hot 3-point display, draining back-to-back treys that helped the 76ers retake the lead after playing catch-up the entire first quarter.

The 1-2 punch of Maxey and Grimes then took over, combining for 17 points in the crucial three-minute window.

Paul George then stepped up when the 76ers needed him most as he answered Jaylen Brown’s run, which prevented the Celtics from inching closer.

To address their 3-point defensive loophole, the Celtics shifted to a traditional 1-2-2 zone in hopes of limiting Philadelphia’s wide-open looks from downtown.

However, the 76ers entered the second half prepared, anticipating Boston’s zone adjustment with a high-low play to counter the scheme.

Boston’s only glimmer of hope came in the fourth quarter when it was able to trim its deficit to just a deuce, 91-89, but the 76ers weathered the storm, answering with a demoralizing 11-0 run to head home to Philadelphia with momentum.

Edgecombe was the biggest revelation for the 76ers as the two-way guard tormented the Celtics with a team-high 30 points, built on an efficient 6-of-10 shooting from downtown.

Aside from his scoring masterclass, Edgecombe also stuffed the stat sheet, tallying 10 rebounds, two assists, and two steals.

It was a sigh of relief for 76ers fans as Maxey finally bounced back from his shooting slump, delivering 29 markers, nine dimes, four boards, and two steals.

On the other hand, the Celtics got another monster night from Brown as the superstar shooting guard erupted for 36 points, but the team’s well-oiled machine abandoned it for all four quarters in Game 2.

Boston struggled to buy a bucket from the 3-point line, shooting just 26% (13-of-50) beyond the arc as a team, while also committing 13 turnovers, which led to 12 fast-break points for the 76ers.

Can Maxey and the rest of the 76ers continue to shock the basketball world with a Game 3 upset?

Or will the battle-tested Celtics immediately erase Philadelphia’s home-court advantage and go up 2-1?