The Philadelphia 76ers grabbed the Eastern Conference’s No. 7 playoff spot on Wednesday night, defeating the Orlando Magic 109-97 at Wells Fargo Center.
Tyrese Maxey poured in 31 points and broke a 92-92 tie by scoring seven consecutive points late in the fourth quarter, sealing the victory in front of the home crowd.
Embiid Makes Surprise Appearance
Before tip-off, players were greeted in the locker room by Joel Embiid, who had not been with the team since an emergency appendectomy last week in Houston. Although no timetable has been set for his return, the All-Star watched the game from the bench.
Frontcourt Filling the Gap
Rookie center Adem Bona started in Embiid’s place, but veteran Andre Drummond delivered the heavier punch: 14 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, three steals and three blocks in nearly 32 minutes. Drummond also connected on 2-of-3 attempts from beyond the arc, both from the corner.
Edgecombe Shines in Postseason Debut
First-year guard VJ Edgecombe added 19 points and 11 rebounds, repeatedly pushing the pace against Orlando’s normally stout back-court defenders.
“I was tweaking a little bit tonight,” Edgecombe said. “If I gotta play wild for us to win, I’ll play wild.”
What’s Next
The win sets up a first-round matchup between Philadelphia and Boston, the 23rd postseason series in the rivalry’s history. Game 1 is scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
Orlando will host the Charlotte Hornets on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET in the final play-in game. The winner claims the East’s No. 8 seed and opens a first-round series against Detroit on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET.
Source: Hoops Rumors
