Starters VJ Edgecombe and Adem Bona are among those playing key roles in their first postseason. But a full series against an experienced Celtics team with Finals potential is a different beast.

Multiple members of the Philadelphia 76ers assess the play of young big man Adem Bona in a Game 3 loss to the Boston Celtics.

The Philadelphia 76ers dropped a 108-100 heartbreaker to the Boston Celtics on Friday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena, putting Philly in a 2-1 hole in the first-round series. Tyrese Maxey led the charge with 31 points to keep the Sixers within striking distance,

The Sixers are down 2-1 against the Celtics, but it's been a more evenly matched series than the odds suggested.

With that being said, Edgecombe has had a unique ability to find a way to bounce back from poor performances. The biggest example was Game 2 in Boston when he had 30 points and 10 rebounds and was 6-for-10 from deep after going 0-for-5 from deep in the Game 1 loss.

VJ Edgecombe played 35 total games in his one season at Baylor. So after the 76ers selected him third in the 2025 NBA draft, he was told to have a short-term memory during the NBA’s daunting 82-game slate.

For the first time in nearly two full years, South Philadelphia was home to a playoff game on Friday night. And while the crowd brought its best for 47 minutes and 35 seconds, the final 25 seconds were dominated by folks wearing green.

Philadelphia 76ers star Tyrese Maxey discusses his shooting struggles and the splint on his finger against the Boston Celtics.

If this series is like a lot of playoff series, the Sixers just lost a game they needed to win. Not that they should have won it. But they could have won it. Against a team like the Boston Celtics, those often prove to have been must-wins.