BOSTON -- The Philadelphia 76ers knew they had to find a way to walk out of TD Garden with a win before this Round 1 playoff series shifts to Philadelphia. The Boston Celtics knocked off the Sixers rather easily in Game 1 and Philadelphia needed to find a way to respond to avoid an 0-2 hole.

After the Celtics jumped out to a 13-point lead in the first quarter, it felt like this was going to be another long night for the Sixers. Instead, rookie VJ Edgecombe came alive in the second quarter and provided a spark for everybody involved as Philadelphia earned a tough and gritty 111-97 win to even this series at 1-1.

Edgecombe had 30 points and nine rebounds for the Sixers while Tyrese Maxey had 29 points and nine assists. Paul George added 19points, Andre Drummond had 10 points and eight rebounds, and Kelly Oubre Jr. added 12 points and five rebounds.

Here are the player grades following the win in Game 2:

Before the contest, coach Nick Nurse stated that he wanted Maxey to stay aggressive and up his field goal attempts from the 20 he took in Game 1. He reached 10 in the first quarter and kept the Sixers in the game after the Celtics led by 13 in the opening minutes. If it wasn’t for Maxey, it would have been a larger lead for Boston. However, as the game wore on, Maxey continued to struggle with his 3-point looks as it appears his right finger tendon injury that held him out for three weeks in March is still bothering him a bit--at least until his complete takeover in the fourth quarter to put this game away. Overall, he scored the ball, it wasn’t a hugely efficient night for him, but he was terrific as a playmaker, and did so many great things in this game.

The rookie knocked down two tough shots to start his night, but then took a hard fall on his back on the defensive end. He left briefly for the locker room, but was able to return late in the first quarter. He knocked down some big 3s in the second quarter as Philadelphia finally found a rhythm. His offensive contributions were important for the Sixers all night long, but the heater he had in the second quarter was impressive to watch. He did leave the game again in the third quarter after taking another hit, but he returned after a brief exit as he showed off his toughness all night long. It was a hugely impressive performance for a player so young. It just goes to show that he has what it takes to be a star in this league for a long time.

The Sixers turned to George early as he knocked down his first two shot attempts to get the offense off to a good start. While being asked to score the ball, he also had to defend Boston’s star duo of Brown or Tatum, depending on who was on the floor. He did an admirable job of doing both asks as he was a helpful player for Philadelphia. He knocked down some important shots for this offense which allowed the Sixers to keep the scoreboard moving and find a rhythm against this tough Celtics defense. The shots he made in the fourth were huge to keep Boston at bay.

It was a slow start for Oubre in terms of his offense. He received some good looks within the offense, but wasn’t able to convert on those opportunities. Oubre found that rhythm in the third quarter, however, as he came up with some huge buckets to expand the lead for Philadelphia and give the Sixers the spark they needed in a game such as this one. He was a real difference-maker in the second half overall on both ends. He also knocked down two big 3s to help the Sixers keep the scoreboard moving.

One has to give Bona a lot of credit. He tries and his athleticism makes a difference, but the Celtics attacked him early and often in this one as they built their lead. He wasn’t able to have his usual defensive impact and Boston forced him off the floor. Overall, Bona had some tough moments in this one, but he had a big impact on the defensive end in the second half.

Drummond gave the Sixers some huge minutes in the early going. His size provided a big difference for Philadelphia on the defensive end, he was big on the glass, and gave the Sixers an offensive boost both around the basket and from beyond the arc. He continues to be a reliable player for this group off the bench. He was a big factor in the second half.

With the Sixers needing offense, Grimes gave this team a big boost in that department off the bench. He knocked down two big 3s in his initial stint to help Philadelphia get back into this one and he was active on the defensive end.

The Sixers turned to Edwards early and he had some good moments again. He was able to put the ball on the floor and find success in the paint while being a pest on the defensive end. He was in the right spots on that end of the floor and did a good job of fighting through screens. He knocked down a big wing triple to give the Sixers some momentum in the fourth.

The big man had a tough initial stint as he was unable to produce much in terms of his numbers. He was able to give the Sixers a spark defensively, though, as he was active on that end of the floor. He did, however, commit two tough fouls late in the first half when defending Jaylen Brown.

This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Player grades: VJ Edgecombe leads Sixers to Game 2 win over Celtics