SPORTS SECTION E
Thursday, May 7, 2026
Eastern Conference Semifinals Game 2
‘VJ’ and 76ers in 2-0 hole By JONATHAN BURROWS Tribune Sports Reporter jburrows@ tribunemedia.net
VALDEZ "VJ" Edgecombe continued to show why Philadelphia trusts him in major playoff moments, delivering a strong two-way performance last night despite the 76ers falling 108-102 to the New York Knicks in game two of the Eastern Conference semifinals at Madison Square Garden. The rookie guard finished with 17 points, five rebounds, three assists and a steal in 40 minutes while again taking on the difficult defensive assignment of guarding Knicks star Jalen Brunson for much of the night. Philadelphia pushed New York into a much more competitive game after the game one blowout, but the Knicks closed strong in the fourth quarter to take a 2-0 series lead heading back to Philadelphia. The series moves to Philadelphia for Game 3 on Friday and Game 4 on Sunday. Wednesday’s game featured 14 ties and 25 lead changes, with neither team leading by more than seven points all night. After Brunson erupted in the opener, Philadelphia adjusted defensively by having Edgecombe pressure him much earlier in possessions. The Bahamian rookie routinely picked Brunson up near the backcourt and disrupted New York’s offensive rhythm before the Knicks could fully settle into their halfcourt sets. The approach changed the pace of the game. On several possessions, Edgecombe defended Brunson the full length of the floor after made baskets, while Philadelphia occasionally trapped aggressively to force the ball out of Brunson’s hands. What stood out most was the discipline and effort from the 20-year-old rookie. Edgecombe consistently fought through screens,
Rookie guard Edgecombe scores 17 for Philadelphia but New York takes control of the series with 108-102 win
recovered quickly in space and stayed attached to Brunson without reaching unnecessarily or committing cheap fouls. Even when Brunson created separation, Edgecombe repeatedly battled back into the play and made him work for nearly every touch. Brunson still led New York with 26 points and six assists in 41 minutes, shooting 9-of-21 from the field and 7-of-8 from the free throw line. OG Anunoby added 24 points, four steals and five rebounds while Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. Mikal Bridges also chipped in 18 points for the Knicks. Edgecombe’s impact extended well beyond defence with Tyrese Maxey constantly facing pressure near the top of the floor. Edgecombe became one of Philadelphia’s steadiest secondary playmakers and scorers throughout the night. The rookie shot 6-of13 from the field and knocked down 3-of-7 from three-point range while continuing to show growth offensively in difficult playoff situations. He attacked gaps in the defence with confidence, hit perimeter shots from both corners and created several difficult baskets late in possessions when Philadelphia’s offence stalled. Edgecombe also showed increasing comfort operating in the mid-range, using hesitations and changes of direction to create space against rotating defenders. Several of Philadelphia’s best offensive stretches
PHILADELPHIA 76ers’ Valdez “VJ” Edgecombe reacts to a call during the first half of Game 1 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series against the New York Knicks Monday, May 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) came directly from his decision-making and ability to remain composed under pressure. Tyrese Maxey led the Sixers with 26 points and six assists in 47 minutes despite shooting just 1-of-6 from three-point range and committing six turnovers. Paul George added 19 points, six rebounds, four assists and two blocks while Kelly Oubre Jr also scored 19 points on 6-of-12 shooting. Andre Drummond started in place of Joel Embiid who was ruled as out hours before the game
and contributed six points and eight rebounds. Philadelphia shot 45 per cent from the field and made 13 three-pointers, but turnovers proved costly. The Sixers committed 18 turnovers that led to 23 Knicks points, while New York finished with a 56-30 advantage in points in the paint. The Knicks also made the decisive push late. After the teams entered the fourth quarter tied at 90, Philadelphia managed just 12 points in the final period while New York closed the game on a 19-12
quarter behind Brunson’s shot creation and timely baskets from Anunoby and Bridges. Even in the loss, Edgecombe continued to look comfortable in one of the league’s toughest playoff environments. For the Sixers to climb back into the series as it shifts to Philadelphia for game three, Edgecombe will likely need to continue playing this type of highlevel basketball on both ends of the floor. Through two games, he has shown he is more than ready for that responsibility.
Ayton has double double but Thunder get win in West semis opener By CLIFF BRUNT AP Sports Writer OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Chet Holmgren had 24 points and 12 rebounds, and the Oklahoma City Thunder routed the Los Angeles Lakers 108-90 on Tuesday night in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Ajay Mitchell each added 18 points for the Thunder. The defending champions improved to 5-0 in the playoffs, despite missing 2025 All-Star Jalen Williams with an injured left hamstring for the third straight game. The Thunder shot 49.4% from the field and made 13 of 30 3-pointers. Oklahoma City will host Game 2 tonight. Los Angeles struggled to find offence without scoring champion Luka Doncic, who has missed the past month with an injured left hamstring. LeBron James scored 27 points and Rui Hachimura added 18 for the Lakers. Deandre Ayton contributed a double double - 10 points and 12 rebounds with two assists and a block in 27 minutes. Austin Reaves, who averaged 23.3 points in the regular season, was held to eight on 3-for-16 shooting. Oklahoma City won all four regular-season matchups by an average of 29.3 points, and this one was only slightly closer. The Thunder held the Lakers to 41.7% shooting and forced 17 turnovers. Oklahoma City led 61-53 at halftime, despite 16 points from James. Mitchell, who started in Williams' place, made a corner 3-pointer and was fouled by Marcus Smart in the final minute of the third quarter. His free throw put the Thunder up 84-72, a score that held up until the end of the period. Alex Caruso's fast-break dunk early in the fourth put Oklahoma City up 88-73, and the Thunder maintained control from there.
Windsor senior girls complete undefeated season with championship win over Kingsway By JONATHAN BURROWS Tribune Sports Reporter jburrows@ tribunemedia.net THE Windsor School completed an undefeated senior girls’ volleyball season with a championship win over Kingsway Academy on Monday at the Aquinas College volleyball courts. Head coach Eugene Stuart said the team stayed focused throughout the season and carried that into the championship match. “Well first and foremost, thank God for this opportunity,” Stuart said. “The senior girls, they won the pennant for the season. We went undefeated. You know, it was a very intense season for the girls. They managed to win every game, like I said.” Stuart said the players stayed committed from the opening game of the season through the playoffs. “For me, I think they left it all on the court,” he said.
“They were very focused from the first point of the season and up until the last point of the playoffs game, which is now against NCS. They really left it all on the floor and I’m very proud of them.” Windsor entered the playoffs looking to finish matches quickly and avoid long stretches where opponents could regain momentum. Stuart said that remained one of the team’s goals during the championship. “For us, it’s more so about really sealing the deal,” he said. “I know the girls, they would have implemented a new strategy in terms of urgency. And so for them, really fine-tuning those details and really making sure that you can really run with it.” Although Windsor controlled most of the championship match, Stuart admitted there were moments where the team lost focus. “I would say that we had some lulls throughout
WINDSOR School senior girls in action. Photo: Chappell Whyms Jr the game,” he said. “There were a few moments where the girls kind of went and fell short a few points but, nonetheless, we still dominated throughout the entirety of the match.” Stuart also praised Kingsway Academy for making Windsor work throughout the contest. “I have to say Kingsway is a very scrappy team,” he said. “They were not allowing us to score points. So we
had to really fight for those points.” Despite that pressure, Windsor stayed committed to its approach and continued to execute its game plan. “We implemented rather our strategy and we were able to keep the strategy,” Stuart said. “And that is what maintained our dominance today.” The veteran coach said the players deserved most
of the credit for the championship run because of the work they put in throughout the year. “And I have to say hats off to the girls,” Stuart said. “They put in all the work. I pretty much just guided them from the sidelines. From day one, they were brought into the programme, and I can’t be more proud of them.” Windsor’s focus on urgency and execution became even more important during the playoffs as the competition intensified. “They won, but it was a slow win,” Stuart said. “And so for us to utilise our energies and utilise our strengths, it’s very hard out here. “And so I told them to win quickly. And so that’s our goal was to win quickly and go home victorious.” Windsor player Priya Alexander said Kingsway Academy made the championship difficult despite the final result. “It was a really good game,” Alexander said.
“Kingsway put up a really, really good fight and made us work for it. But it was just, we came out on top. It’s been four years in the making and we played a really, really good game.” Alexander said the victory was especially meaningful for the senior players competing together for the final time. “We came so close last year, making it to playoffs, and it was really nice to close it out,” she said. “We played a good game and it was just a good way to end it.” After completing the undefeated season with a championship win, Alexander said the team planned to celebrate accordingly. “Oh, we’re going to party hard,” she said. With the championship secured and an undefeated season completed, Stuart said the programme will address the future later on. “We’ll see when that moment comes,” he said. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”