Sixers rookie VJ Edgecombe loved every minute of his wild night

The excitement and giddiness was like that of a kid who had just passed his driver's test. And come to think of it, that wasn't all that long ago for Sixers rookie guard VJ Edgecombe.

As he sat at the podium fielding questions about his team's 109-97 Play-In win over the Orlando Magic, Edgecombe had trouble keeping his composure. Part of it is just due to him being 19 and having to answer endless questions about his terrific play on the basketball court. Another part is because he's just having so much fun playing the game he loves, in an atmosphere he's never experienced, and with teammates who have become family.

Edgecombe was outstanding in Wednesday's win, when he contributed 19 points and 11 rebounds in 41 minutes of play and helped the Sixers move into a playoff series against the Boston Celtics on Sunday. His defense was stellar all evening and so was his enthusiasm. Maybe even a little too much at times.

"For him, he made some more off the script decisions tonight with the ball," said Nick Nurse of his rookie. "I thought it was a little wild for him. I thought some of the things he did with the ball was a little wild. But he played great in other aspects. He really impacted the game. The open floor, take it to the front of the rim and score or get fouled. And then all the rebounding and all the defense. So I think it was really good to get that one under his belt."

Edgecombe couldn't control his laughter when he heard about his coach's assessment of his wildness, but he didn't disagree.

"I did. I did," he said on whether he felt his play was a little wild. "I was too cute a little bit tonight. But I was able to settle in a little bit, calm down. I guess it happens when you're a kid playing such a high intensity game. But I was out there having fun. If I got to play wild for us to win, I'll play wild."

The stability that the Baylor product and No. 3 overall pick has shown this season has been remarkable. Whether teaming with a rising superstar in Tyrese Maxey, playing alongside a future Hall of Famer in Paul George, managing the circumstances that is Joel Embiid, or being asked to play many different roles in his initial season, Edgecombe does it night in and night out, seemingly oblivious to the pressure it all entails.

Edgecombe has never been afraid to take a big shot. There isn't an opponent he won't challenge, whether it be at the rim on offense or guarding a bigger player on defense. He drives the lane almost as if he is looking for contact, and if he gets that, it isn't a deterrent on his quest to score; rather, it's a welcomed challenge. He did that a few times against Orlando, once spinning like a dancer for a layup, another time hanging in the air after the contact to finish the shot, which was followed by a pronounced flexing pose. On one drive, he waltzed the Magic's Jalen Suggs all the way to the stanchion under the basket. He was called for a taunting technical foul.

"It got a little chippy early, we were just out there hooping," Edgecombe said. "I thought my momentum just took me all the way. That's what I was telling Tony (referee Tony Brothers), but he wasn't buying it. My momentum, I can't really stop if I'm going that fast. My momentum was taking me that way. I was trying to slow down my momentum. I don't know, man. I wasn't a fan of it, but it's cool.

"I ain't scared of nobody. I'm gonna guard, regardless of who you is. I'm going to try and I ain't scared. I ain't going to back up if you're running at me. You just got to run me over or something."

Edgecombe plays with all the confidence and exuberance you'd expect from a high draft pick, and it is welcomed by his coaches, teammates and fans. Though sometimes he has to be reigned in a little bit.

"He was great. He played hard, he played really great defensively," said Maxey. "He had 11 rebounds and that's big time. Huge. He made some big buckets down the stretch, in the fourth. He drove and made big free throws. He was very composed. I was proud of him.

"I don't want him to celebrate at all during the game, I want him to get back on defense. He made a layup today and he was screaming and I was like, 'Please just get back.' VJ isn't worried about nothing. He's just worried about straight business and going out there and winning games. He's going to be perfectly fine. His demeanor is great, his work ethic is great. One skill that he has is that he just plays so hard. Even if he's not making shots, he's doing something else. That's the special thing that he does. He can score, he can do all those things, but his effort and how hard he plays and the winning basketball plays that he makes, that's what is special about him."

The specialness of the night, his first one in the postseason, wasn't lost on Edgecombe.

"I love Philly fans," he said. "They were loud. And the intensity and the physicality, it was great. That's the type of game I live for. You can be physical, crowd's involved. I couldn't ask for a better debut, kind of playoff experience, kind of. It was great. I enjoyed every moment of it."

And, sans the wild part for his coach, so did everyone else.