The Philadelphia 76ers are taking on the San Antonio Spurs in a nationally televised game today, hoping to climb the standings with a win. However, things went sideways when standout rookie guard VJ Edgecombe exited the game at halftime due to an injury. Here’s what happened to him.

Why Did VJ Edgecombe Leave the Game? What Injury Did He Suffer?

At the end of the second quarter, Edgecombe ran the ball up the court to take a last-second shot. As he put it up, with 0.2 seconds left, Spurs rookie Carter Bryant tried to contest him from behind, pulling him down to the floor unexpectedly hard.

After lying on the floor for a bit, Edgecombe was helped up by his teammates and shot three free throws before leaving the game for halftime. At the beginning of the half, it was announced that Edgecombe had been ruled out for the rest of the night with lower back soreness.

How Did VJ Edgecombe Perform Before Leaving?

Edgecombe struggled during his time on the floor tonight. In under 20 minutes, the rookie managed just six points, connecting on two of his nine shots while missing both of his threes. He also chipped in four rebounds, an assist, a steal, and two blocks, but fell well short of his season averages.

The Bahamian has had a solid rookie season, currently averaging 15.3 points per game on decent efficiency for a rookie with 42.7% from the field and 36.1% from three. His play has made him one of the frontrunners for the Rookie of the Year award, currently sitting at third on the list behind Kon Knueppel and Cooper Flagg.

How Did the Philadelphia 76ers Adjust Without Edgecombe?

The Sixers had a lot of trouble tonight, even before Edgecombe’s exit, and things got worse. His minutes were largely taken over by Cam Payne and Justin Edwards, but neither did too well. They combined for 19 points on 18 shots, along with three rebounds and five assists.

The scoring load was largely carried by Tyrese Maxey and Jabari Walker tonight, logging 21 and 20 points each. Maxey also added eight rebounds and two assists, but on a night without three of their five starters, a win was going to be hard, especially facing off against one of the best teams in the league in San Antonio.

The Spurs completely dismantled the shorthanded Sixers, putting up 46 points to their 28 in the second quarter before completely shutting the door with a 35-11 third quarter before easing up and letting the bench warmers play in the fourth. The final score, despite being a 40-point margin, doesn’t fully communicate how big a blowout this was.

San Antonio led by as much as 49, never letting the Sixers get ahead, and dominating the paint point battle 60-46.

Philadelphia and Edgecombe’s chance to bounce back will be tomorrow, when they face the Utah Jazz. Expect a quick update on Edgecombe’s condition before the game.