In what could be described as a continuation of arguably the best professional debut by a Bahamian athlete in any sport ever, Valdez ‘VJ’ Edgecombe continues to amaze onlookers, producing on a nightly basis for the Philadelphia 76ers in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
The Bahamian rookie recorded his 13th straight double-digit scoring game on Monday, but the Sixers fell just short, losing to the Denver Nuggets by the slimmest of margins at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Sixers fell, 125-124, in overtime.
Edgecombe was splendid again, scoring all 17 of his points in the second half and overtime. After going 0-for-5 from the field and 0-for-3 from three-point range in the first half, he exploded for nine third-quarter points and added six more in the fourth quarter before scoring a basket in overtime.
Nuggets’ guard Bruce Brown was credited for a layup with 4.7 seconds left in overtime as Joel Embiid was called for goaltending, and Tyrese Maxey missed a runner in the waning seconds of overtime to give the Nuggets a hard fought victory.
The Nuggets trailed by eight points in the fourth quarter before coming back to take a lead and settle for a tied game at 120 at the end of regulation. Neither team had much offense going in the overtime session, and Brown was credited with the game-winning shot with just 4.7 seconds left.
The Sixers had a shot to win at the end of regulation as well, but Maxey missed a three-point shot as time expired.
As for Edgecombe, he came alive in the third quarter. The 20-year-old 6’4” guard hit all three of his shots from the field in the third quarter, all three-point attempts. In the fourth, Edgecombe was 2-for-6 from the field and 2-for-4 from three-point range. For the game, he was 6-for-17 from the field and 5-for-11 from three-point range. Edgecombe also flirted with a triple double, adding nine assists and eight rebounds. He also had two blocked shots and two steals in what could be considered one of his better all-around performances of the season.
Prior to Monday, Edgecombe had scored 20-plus points in three straight games, and seven of his last nine. He also has two game-winning shots for the season.
Edgecombe is third among rookies in scoring this season, averaging 16.5 points per game. He leads all rookies in steals at 1.4 per game, is tied for second among rookies in assists at 4.1 per game, and is sixth among rookies in rebounding at 5.4 boards per game.
Edgecombe is shooting 43.2 percent from the field and 38.7 percent from three-point range. He leads all rookies in minutes played at 35.8 per game, and is among the leaders for the NBA Rookie of the Year Award according to the Kia Rookie Ladder.
The Bahamian was inserted into the starting lineup on opening night for the Sixers, and he has never relinquished the position. He has started 29 of 29 games played for the Sixers this season.
“He’s been awesome... just the composure that he has. He’s just so steady out there — he plays like a 10-year vet,” said Sixers’ Head Coach Nick Nurse of Edgecombe. “He just keeps making plays. He does a lil bit of everything, and it’s great to have him.”
In the game on Monday, the Sixers trailed 29-26 after the first quarter, before pulling even at 58 at the half. The Sixers led 93-87 going into the fourth quarter.
No team led by double digits in the game, and there were 15 ties and 18 lead changes. The Sixers shot 46-for-98 from the field and were 17-for-45 from three-point range in the game, while the Nuggets were at 43-for-81 from the field and 18-for-37 from three-point range.
On Monday, Embiid led the Sixers in scoring with 32 points and added 10 rebounds. Maxey had 28 points, six rebounds, six assists and four steals, and Edgecombe contributed 17 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. Quentin Grimes scored 16 points off the bench.
In the absence of superstar center Nikola Jokić and star point guard Jamal Murray, Jalen Pickett led the Nuggets in scoring with 29 points on 11-for-20 shooting from the field, 7-for-11 from three-point range. Peyton Watson added 24 points, and Zeke Nnaji contributed 21 off the bench. Brown had 19.
The Sixers will remain home and host the Washington Wizards tonight. That game will get underway at 7 p.m.
The Sixers have a 19-15 win/loss record on the season and fifth in the Eastern Conference of the NBA Standings.
Edgecombe continues to make an impression in his first season in the NBA. The high-flying guard from Bimini is producing on both ends of the floor, and is one of the main reasons why the Sixers are right in the mix this year after struggling through a losing season a year ago.