76ers beat Magic
The Philadelphia 76ers won their play‑in game against the Orlando Magic and have been slotted to face the Boston Celtics in the first round of the NBA playoffs. CBS Philadelphia reported the win on Wednesday night and notes the matchup is now set as the playoffs bracket continues to finalize. (cbsnews.com) (cbssports.com)
Philadelphia locked up the East’s No. 7 seed Wednesday night, beating Orlando 109-97 in the play-in and drawing Boston in the first round. (nba.com) Tyrese Maxey scored 31 points for the 76ers, who pulled away from the Magic at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. The win sent the Sixers straight into the playoffs instead of a second elimination game. (nba.com) The matchup is set for Sunday, April 19, at 1 p.m. Eastern in Boston, where the No. 2 seed Celtics open the best-of-seven series at TD Garden. Philadelphia earned that spot by winning the East’s 7-vs.-8 play-in game. (cbsnews.com) The play-in tournament gives teams that finish seventh through 10th a path into the final two playoff seeds in each conference. The No. 7 and No. 8 teams play once for the No. 7 seed, while the loser gets one more chance against the winner of the No. 9 vs. No. 10 game. (nba.com) That format meant Philadelphia advanced immediately, while Orlando stayed alive and moved into Friday’s game for the East’s No. 8 seed. ESPN’s schedule listed the Magic hosting the Charlotte Hornets on April 17 in Orlando. (espn.com ) Both teams finished the regular season 45-37, but Philadelphia hosted because it won the season tiebreaker over Orlando by taking two of the three head-to-head meetings. That made the Sixers the No. 7 team entering the play-in and the Magic No. 8. (cbssports.com) The broader East bracket is coming into focus around them. NBA and CBS Sports listings show Boston-Philadelphia, New York-Atlanta and Cleveland-Toronto already set, with top-seeded Detroit waiting for the final play-in winner. (nba.com) (cbssports.com) For Philadelphia, the result turned one April night into a playoff berth and a quick turnaround. The next game is no longer about surviving the play-in; it is Game 1 against the Celtics on Sunday afternoon. (cbsnews.com)
