PHILADELPHIA -- Young Philadelphia 76ers guard VJ Edgecombe took some friendly fire from LeBron James in the team's 114-106 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday in the team's home opener. The two were going up for a rebound when they collided and Edgecombe walked away with a bloody nose.
As he took to the podium after the win, Edgecombe's right nostril had a tissue in it to stop the bleeding and the young guard revealed that he is OK and that James had just hit him. He also said that there are no fractures that he's OK, but if something were to happen, he knows James can just buy him a new nose.
"Nah, I'm good, man," Edgecombe smiled. "I'm blessed. Thank God, it's nothing, nothing bad. But if it was, he could buy me a new nose or something."
Behind a strong effort from the talented starting lineup of Edgecombe, James, Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, and Joel Embiid, the Sixers were able to put up one helluva comeback after trailing the Cavs by as many as 29. Throw in a big bucket by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Adem Bona's defense in the second half, and it all adds up with the 41-year-old James setting the tone.
"He’s a leader," Edgecombe said of James. "He’s been in a situation like that before. He was vocal the whole time, and obviously he kind of willed us. JB, Reese, Jo, we all kind of willed each other, everyone kind of willed each other. KCP, Bona, Ant, everyone came and made some big plays. We just trying to will each other, just keep playing confidence."
When Edgecombe did take the hit and the blood began pouring out, one had to wonder if that was going to be the end of his night. However, he got patched up and he walked back onto the floor as the sold out crowd of 21,423 came to a crescendo to give their respect to the second-year guard.
"I'm going to be honest, my head was hurting and I couldn't see for real, but that's just something in me that I can walk, I can shoot, I can see a little bit, I'm going to play," the 21-year-old stated. "It’s just who I am. I'm going to play regardless. It’s just a little blood right now."
As far as the comeback is concerned, Edgecombe backed what Maxey stated in the locker room. The Cavs punched the Sixers in the mouth. It was time for the group to respond.
"I feel like that game just kind of showed just a little bit of a testament to who we are, what we can be, and Tyrese was right," Edgecombe finished. "Are we going to be front runners and just let the game go, come out slow, don’t play hard? Or are we going to respond? They threw a punch. They threw multiple punches early. How are we going to respond? And that was the biggest thing going throughout the locker room at halftime."
The Sixers will play host to the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday to begin a back-to-back set.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: VJ Edgecombe gives update on nose, LeBron James, Sixers win over Cavs