With a wink, 76ers rookie V.J. Edgecombe has quickly found his playoff footing

BOSTON (AP) — Paul George was in the middle of heaping praise on teammate and 76ers rookie V.J. Edgecombe’s efforts in Philadelphia’s 111-97 Game 2 win over Boston, when he realized he wasn’t even sure about something.

“Are you 21 yet?” George turned and asked Edgecombe on the dais during their postgame news conference.

“No, 20,” Edgecombe responded with a smirk.

Nobody’s laughing about the elite company that the 76ers’ third overall pick in last June’s draft put himself into during just his second career playoff game.

“I just try not to overthink it,” Edgecombe said. “I try not to put pressure on myself. Everybody’s already putting pressure on us to perform. … Plus, I’m around a great group of guys. That also helps me. Just keep instilling confidence in me. Just to keep going, keep going. Regardless of who’s on the floor, who’s not on the floor.”

Edgecombe finished with 30 points and 10 rebounds to become the first rookie to record at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in a playoff game since Tim Duncan on May 5, 1998.

He also became the first rookie in NBA history to post five 3-pointers and 10 rebounds in a playoff game. It was a bounce-back performance after a Game 1 in which he finished with just 13 points on 6-of-16 shooting.

George said it’s the culmination of something they first saw glimpses of in the Bahamas native when Edgecombe scored 34 points in his first pro game in Philadelphia’s one-point opening night win in Boston.

“When you think about it how he started his first NBA game in this building, I’m sure he was in a small percentage or small group of players that what he did on that opening night,” George said.

Edgecombe’s opening-night performance was the third-most points for an NBA player in his first game. Wilt Chamberlain scored 43 points in his debut in 1959 for the Philadelphia Warriors and also had 28 rebounds that night against New York. Frank Selvy scored 35 points for the Milwaukee Hawks against Boston in 1954.

Allen Iverson held the Sixers’ record with 30 points in his debut in 1996.

Edgecombe’s 14 first-quarter points on opening night were also the most ever for a player’s first NBA quarter. That record had been set by LeBron James in 2003.

Edgecombe finished the regular season averaging 16.0 points in 75 games.

And he’s done it with a flair that is in some ways reminiscent of the fun-loving style that Iverson exuded during his 76ers’ tenure.

In Tuesday’s win, after knocking down his final basket of the night — a deep 3-pointer over Payton Pritchard to put Philadelphia in front 105-92 after Boston had gotten within 91-89 — Edgecombe winked at the camera as he jogged back down the court.

George said it’s just a taste of what’s to come from Edgecombe.

“To put a whole season together and get to a point where he’s showcasing who he is and his abilities. I’ve been saying all year long he’s far past a rookie,” George said. “It’s just impressive, man. (Edgecombe had) 30 and 10, but it’s just what we needed in the moments throughout the game when he took over, and kind of just put us at ease.”

Tuesday wasn’t all fun for Edgecombe, though. He did take a hard fall on his back early in the game that resulted in him limping to the locker room in both the first and third quarters.

But Edgecombe shrugged off any notion that his fall will hinder him going forward in this series.

“I just landed on my back, but I’m good. I was able to finish the game so I’m good,” he said. “That’s all I’ve got for you. I’m good, ain’t nothing wrong with me. I’m good.”

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