NBA: Philadelphia 76ers Answer Boston Celtics, Even Series 111-97 [1-1]

BOSTON. The Philadelphia 76ers responded with authority in the NBA playoffs, defeating the Boston Celtics 111-97 to tie the first-round series 1-1. V.J. Edgecombe, with 30 points and 10 rebounds, and Tyrese Maxey, with 29 points and 9 assists, led the visiting effort at TD Garden.

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After falling decisively in the first game, the Philadelphia 76ers showed a much more aggressive version from the opening tip. Head coach Nick Nurse's team found offensive rhythm from beyond the arc and punished an uncomfortable Boston Celtics squad for much of the night.

The matchup started with maximum tension. In the opening minutes, Jaylen Brown received a technical foul after a powerful dunk over Adem Bona, an action that elevated the intensity of the contest. From there, the clash maintained a constant physical and competitive tone.

Despite suffering a hard fall on his back in the first quarter, V.J. Edgecombe remained in the game and delivered a historic performance. The rookie finished with 30 points and 10 rebounds, also making six three-pointers among the 19 three-pointers made by Philadelphia. With this, he became the first rookie to record at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in a playoff game since Tim Duncan in 1998.

Alongside him came a decisive Tyrese Maxey, who showed marked improvement from the first game and added 29 points and 9 assists. Both set the pace for a Philadelphia 76ers team that shot 47.8% from the field and a solid 19 of 39 from three-point range.

The Boston Celtics tried to respond in the fourth quarter. They cut a seven-point deficit down to 91-89, but when the game seemed to open up, the visiting response arrived. A devastating 11-0 run returned complete control to Philadelphia, which pulled away to 102-89 with just over four minutes remaining.

Joe Mazzulla's team found no answer. Jaylen Brown kept Boston afloat with 36 points, while Jayson Tatum fell just short of a triple-double with 19 points, 14 rebounds, and 9 assists. However, the Celtics shot a poor 13 of 47 from three-point range, 39.3% from the field overall, and committed 13 turnovers that resulted in 16 points for their opponents.

The Philadelphia 76ers' victory becomes even more significant as they achieved it without Joel Embiid, who remains absent while continuing his physical recovery process following an appendectomy performed on April 9.

The series between the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers now moves to Pennsylvania with the score tied 1-1. Game 3 will be played on Friday, with the pressure shifting sides following the visiting response.