VJ Edgecombe was one of two rookies on the court when the Philadelphia 76ers trailed the Golden State Warriors by one point with two and a half seconds left, but no one would have ever guessed this without looking at the selections.
Edgecombe swamped Pat Spencer to rebound Tyrese Maxey’s deviant mid-range jump shot and sink a put-back layup to secure a 99-98 win for the 76ers against the Warriors on Thursday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena. But Philadelphia – which once had a 24-point lead – got itself into this situation with the usual suspects responsible.
Injuries have largely kept the 76ers (12-9) from atop the Eastern Conference standings. Offensive cold spells and second-half struggles are controllable factors that have been just as hurtful to Philadelphia, however.
The Warriors (11-12) outscored the 76ers 32-24 in the third quarter – a common trend this season – but it was the ensuing period where both problems came to light. Philadelphia’s offense lost structure, giving way to Golden State erasing its once-gigantic deficit.
The 76ers scored just 19 points in the fourth quarter as they returned to isolation and seemingly got too comfortable. Without Edgecombe, Philadelphia would have ended the game with Maxey misfiring a jump shot that was contested by several defenders. Joel Embiid’s minutes restriction, which sidelined him during the period, also didn’t help matters.
Philadelphia could have enjoyed some good old-fashioned fiscal management over the last twelve minutes, but its bad habits forced it into an unnecessary nail-biter. Additionally, the Warriors were robbed of Stephen Curry (quad) and Jimmy Butler (Knee). A win is a win, but the 76ers must learn from their inconsistencies.
Here’s how it happened:
First quarter
Philadelphia gave fans nostalgia when the offense came through Embiid’s post-ups defending Al Horford. The 2023 Most Valuable Player started strong as he created seven of the 76ers’ first 11 points with two jump shots and an assist for Edgecombe.
But Maxey – who finished with a game-high 35 points – stole the show again.
He scored 10 straight points to increase Philadelphia’s lead to 21–5 and cap off a 22-point run. Maxey created rhythm by taking advantage of transition opportunities that the 76ers had little problem with. The Warriors struggled scoring without Curry and Butlerallowing Philadelphia to turn their misses into fast break opportunities.
Golden State shot 7-17 from the field in the period as the 76ers entered the second frame with a 20-point lead. Side note: Dominick Barlow totaled five rebounds and two assists in five minutes – what a player.
Second quarter
The Warriors finally got going and defeated Philadelphia 10-3, cutting the deficit to 13 points early in the second period. Golden State’s only reliable scoring source was the open floor, as 38% of its points in the first half came in transition.
The 76ers offense sputtered when Maxey rested as they failed to generate advantages despite handling Embiid, Edgecombe and Jared McCain. However, the one-time all-star quickly restored order. He nailed two consecutive pull-up jumpers, including a vicious step-back against Buddy Hield.
Philadelphia entered the locker room with a 56-34 lead and ended the first half as it began: dominating inside the arc and forcing turnovers. The 76ers scored 16 points off seven Warriors turnovers and 28 points in the paint through two quarters.
Third quarter
Golden State started the second half further depleted when Draymond Green suffered a right foot injury in the second quarter, sidelining him the rest of the way. Still, Philadelphia did not give up and extended the lead to as many as 24 points in less than four minutes.
Maxey continued to torch the Warriors’ defense despite their new zone approach.
He buried three consecutive three-pointers to complete an 11-3 run, eclipsing 27 points during the stretch. Tonight marked Maxey’s 21st straight game in which he has scored at least 20 total points, snapping the longest streak in Embiid franchise history of 33 games from 2023-2024.
But Golden State took advantage of Philadelphia’s weakness: its instability in the third quarter. The Warriors defeated the 76ers by eight points, but Philadelphia entered the final period with an 80-66 lead.
Fourth quarter
The 76ers started the fourth quarter without Maxey, Embiid or McCain – and it showed. Philadelphia lacked on-ball creation, with neither Edgecombe nor Grimes effective as lead ballhandlers. The 76ers’ offensive woes allowed the Warriors to do the one thing they did best all night: attack early.
Golden State cut Philadelphia’s lead to three points after a 15-0 run and even the presence of Maxey or McCain didn’t help. The Warriors combined different coverages to effectively increase perimeter pressure as the 76ers couldn’t get downhill, recording four turnovers in less than five minutes.
Philadelphia’s offensive stagnation continued and the defense was unable to compensate. Gui Santos scored to give the Warriors a one-point lead for the first time since 30 seconds into the first quarter. But it was Spencer who exploited the 76ers’ poor execution, from untimely closeouts to inadequate offensive defense. He scored 12 of his 16 points in the frame.
Philadelphia became completely isolated and failed to reach the paint to force Golden State into rotation. But the 76ers did just enough to maintain their deficit at one point with two seconds left. Maxey botched a contested mid-range shot, but Edgecombe nailed a putback layup to secure Philadelphia’s 12th win of the season. Maxey knocked De’Anthony Melton’s transition off the board for good measure.
The 76ers visit the Milwaukee Bucks (8-13) on December 5 at 8:00 PM EST.
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