Philadelphia 76ers head coach Nick Nurse lauded VJ Edgecombe’s late-game performance after the team edged the Memphis Grizzlies 139-136 in overtime on Tuesday night at FedExForum.
“[Edgecombe] made a lot of big ones in that game…pretty cool,” Nurse said, highlighting the rookie’s composure, including a 3-pointer with 1.7 seconds remaining that sealed the victory.
Nurse emphasized the balance among Philadelphia’s stars. “It was nice to see those guys got a little rhythm up top…both Joel and Paul are still trying to get to a conditioning continuity rhythm place,” he said, referring to Joel Embiid and Paul George.
Edgecombe scored 13 crucial points in the fourth quarter, keeping Philadelphia ahead despite Tyrese Maxey struggling with one point on 0-for-3 shooting. “The poise he always shows in the clutch…he kind of just plays the game,” Nurse added.
The coach praised the team’s offensive cohesion. “This really looked like the first one of the first games where all three of your guys kind of meshed together offensively at the same time on the same night,” Nurse noted, acknowledging improved timing among Embiid, George, and Maxey.
Nurse also discussed rotation management. “There’s a bunch of stuff going on…we were working hard at trying to figure out who was in, who was out, who was in, who was out as far as staggering those guys,” he said, crediting Adem Bona’s defensive contributions and the team’s ability to handle Memphis’ fast pace.
Philadelphia trailed 103-100 entering the fourth quarter before Edgecombe’s pair of 3-pointers and a drive pushed the team ahead 124-118 with under four minutes remaining.
Embiid and Maxey each finished with 34 points, while Paul George added 17, and Edgecombe totaled 25 points. Memphis’ Ja Morant scored 40, with Cedric Coward posting career-highs of 28 points and 16 rebounds, but the Grizzlies fell short despite a late rally.
Philadelphia shot 46% overall, including 36% from three-point range, while Memphis finished 55% from the field and 38% from deep but committed key turnovers late in regulation and overtime.
The win moves the 76ers to 17-14 on the season, snapping a three-game losing streak, while Memphis falls to 15-18. Philadelphia continues its five-game road trip against the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, and the Grizzlies travel to Los Angeles to face the Lakers on Friday.
