When the Philadelphia 76ers drafted VJ Edgecombe, fans knew they had landed a high-energy player. What they weren’t aware of was that the Baylor product would evolve into one of Philadelphia’s most clutch players, as evidenced against the New York Knicks.
Edgecombe did a bit of everything at Madison Square Garden on Friday night, from scoring in variety to making the scrappy plays that not every 20-year-old is willing to do. His cluster of winning plays guided the 76ers to a 116-107 win versus the Knicks to improve to 15-11 on the season. The rookie’s crunch-time performance epitomizes the clutch gene he has developed throughout the year.
It was easy to observe that Edgecombe was focused on one task during his pre-draft process: winning. His high character and two-way potential made Philadelphia’s decision to select him third overall in the 2025 NBA Draft uncomplicated. But it wasn’t until the 2025-26 campaign commenced that everyone truly saw how much Edgecombe valued winning.
The 76ers have dealt with a fair share of down-to-the-wire games this year, and win or lose, he has made his presence felt. Edgecombe shot 65% from the field and 62.5% from three-point range in 18 games in which Philadelphia led or trailed by five points with less than five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. The team is 11-7 in that sample size, and much of their success can be attributed to Edgecombe’s little things.
Look no further than Philadelphia’s matchup against New York last night.
Tyrese Maxey torched the Knicks’ defense for 30 points and Mike Brown aimed to force anyone but him to beat them. Unfortunately for New York, Edgecombe did. The rookie scored five consecutive points off Maxey’s rim gravity to create a six-point cushion with three minutes left in the game. But, he didn’t stop there.
Josh Hart forced Maxey into a contested running layup, but Edgecombe flew past a quartet of Knicks to snatch an offensive rebound and convert a menacing put-back dunk. Between the athleticism, hustle, and game scenario, it’s hard to think of a play that better encapsulates what the guard is all about. For good measure, Edgecombe scrapped for a loose ball 87 seconds later that clinched Philadelphia the win.
What’s more, this game marked the rookie’s third consecutive outing recording at least 20 points, tallying 23 points on 55.6% shooting from the field, four assists, and two steals. For the 76ers, it’s always a great feeling to exit Madison Square Garden as victors, but to do so in such a dramatic fashion in which their rookie headlined, is simply awesome.