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Tim Bontemps
PHILADELPHIA — Last season, it took a month — and 15 games — for the Philadelphia 76ers to claim their third victory of what eventually became a dismal 24-58 campaign.
This season? Six days — and three games — to get there.
And they largely have Tyrese Maxey and rookie VJ Edgecombe to thank, as the pair has combined for 182 points — the most by any starting backcourt through a team’s first three games of a season since starters were first tracked in 1970-71, according to ESPN Research.
Monday was another scintillating performance from the pair as Maxey had 43 points and eight assists and Edgecombe had 26 points and seven assists to help the 76ers continue one of the most surprising starts of the NBA season, improving to 3-0 thanks to a 136-124 victory over the Orlando Magic.
“Yeah, I mean obviously the guys are playing extremely hard and again, we needed every bit of everybody that hit the floor,” 76ers coach Nick Nurse said. “You look down [at the box score] and you say, ‘Who didn’t help us tonight?’
“You couldn’t say anybody [who came in] didn’t help us tonight.”
Though it’s true Philadelphia got plenty of contributions from across the roster, the headliners were again Maxey and Edgecombe. A year ago, the 76ers were just beginning what became a six-month dirge of a season, one that ended with them crossing their fingers and toes in the hopes of some lottery luck to keep their top-six protected first-round pick.
Philadelphia got that luck, and as a result selected Edgecombe with the No. 3 pick in the draft. And, because they did, they are off to a flying start, with Monday’s win coming with Joel Embiid watching in sweats (he will play Tuesday in the second night of a back-to-back against the host Wizards).
“I got confidence in myself and I got confidence in my work and I trust the people that I work with within the team,” said Edgecombe, who is averaging 25 points while shooting 50% from the field and 40% from 3-point range. “I say I’m a student of the game, so I know where my buckets are going to come from. I watch a lot of basketball, I watch a lot of film, especially when I’m playing with great players like Tyrese and Joel.
“I know where the shots are going to come from, and I’ve been able to capitalize on that.”
As a result, there’s plenty of excitement both within the organization and around the city about this team, and about its effervescent young backcourt. When both players were told they’d combined for the most points by a backcourt to start a season, they couldn’t wrap their heads around it.
“For real?” Edgecombe asked with a smile. “That’s a great stat to know.”
Maxey, meanwhile, paused for several seconds, trying to figure out what to say, before eventually just shaking his head.
“That was a long time ago,” he said.
“We’re just trying to go out there and be aggressive and help us win. As long as we’re doing that, then we’re doing a good job.”
No one is debating whether a good job is happening. The Sixers have been without Paul George (knee), Jared McCain (thumb) and Trendon Watford (hamstring). Dominick Barlow (elbow) is out for an extended period, and Embiid is either playing on a minutes limit or sitting out one half of each back-to-back.
Despite that, the 76ers have quickly forged an identity as a team that will play at a frenetic pace and through its guards — whether Embiid, and eventually George, are available or not.
That constant threat of speed and athleticism allowed the 76ers to come from behind down the stretch to win both in Boston last week in their season opener and then at home Saturday night against the Charlotte Hornets. It also allowed them to hold off a second-half surge from the Magic (1-3), who got 32 points from Paolo Banchero but failed to press their size advantage over the much-smaller 76ers for large stretches.
“Just little things I think keep adding up,” Nurse said, when asked for an explanation for how the 76ers have been able to pull out these early games. “But, mostly, I think those guys are playing so well together out there that it’s making it hard to hone in on stopping any one of them.
“I think that’s probably the biggest thing.”
The 76ers have also been getting contributions from different players each game. Kelly Oubre Jr. had what Nurse called his best game in his two-plus seasons in Philadelphia on Monday night, finishing with 25 points and 10 rebounds while spending much of the game guarding the larger Banchero. Saturday night against Charlotte, it was Andre Drummond coming in and playing virtually the final 16 minutes to help power the comeback win over the Hornets.
But, more than anything, it has been Maxey and Edgecombe teaming up to breathe life into the franchise.
“I think I’m at the point in my career where I want us to be really good as a team,” Maxey said, “and I know that starts with me.
“I want us to win. … I want us to win so bad every single game, and I want to do whatever I can to help my team do that.”
