WATCH: Front Line guy and certified black belt Kelly Oubre Jr. had VJ Edgecombe’s back when things got chippy with Jalen Suggs
The second VJ Edgecombe converted that fast break and bodied Jalen Suggs under the basket, you just knew Kelly Oubre Jr. was going to be right there to make sure his rookie was safe from the bullshit.
VJ Edgecombe and the Sixers took on Jalen Suggs and the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference’s 7/8 play-in game Wednesday at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Boston or Bust: Playoff-bound Sixers get the Celtics in round one >>
In the third quarter, Edgecombe got a fast break opportunity off a Paul George steal, drove all the way to the rim, and finished a layup right over Suggs. Then he got up in Suggs’ face and jawed at him. Suggs got knocked off balance in the process. Both benches started barking and the whole thing spilled into an Orlando timeout.
VJ Edgecombe bullying Jalen Suggs
And of course Oubre was right there in the middle of it. Front Line guy. Black Belt. That’s what Kelly Oubre Jr. does. He doesn’t let anyone touch the family. After the game, Oubre told reporters exactly what the rest of the league already knew.
He’s front line. Don’t test him. He has a black belt. You have been warned.
Black Belt and Certified Front Line Guy: Kelly Oubre Jr
The rook dropped 19 points to go along with 11 rebounds in his first ever playoff game. At 20 years old. The kid is different and it’s not even close to being a debate anymore.
VJ Edgecombe struggled offensively in the first half, missing his first two threes and generally trying to figure out what postseason defense feels like. Didn’t matter. He was all action anyway. He was dynamite in transition, kick-starting fast breaks by grabbing defensive rebounds and high-pointing the ball before anyone else could touch it. When he hits the turbo button, Orlando’s backcourt had zero chance of keeping up.
Outside of bodying Jalen Suggers, the best moment of his night was defensive. Sixers up three in the fourth. Paolo Banchero, six-foot-ten and built like a linebacker, backing Edgecombe down from just inside the foul line.
Every single person in the building thought it was a lost cause. Edgecombe reached in at exactly the right moment, ripped the ball clean, and Tyrese Maxey hit a step-back three on the other end. That’s a grown-man play from a rookie. You can’t teach that.
Playoff Riser: Kelly Oubre Jr.
19 points. 5 threes on 10 attempts. The Magic decided they were going to stay home on Maxey and George and dare Oubre to beat them from deep. He obliged.
Oubre shot a career-best 36 percent from three this season after offseason therapy got him flexibility back in his left wrist and hand. He also brought real physicality defensively on Franz Wagner, got into it with Banchero in the first quarter, and helped set the emotional tone for the entire building.
If he gets hot against Boston, this series gets a lot more interesting in a hurry. He’s the walking definition of a swing vote. Lock him in for a few games and the Sixers can steal something. Let him go cold and it gets ugly quick.
Dawgs. Dawgs. Ruff Ruff.
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