76ers top Bucks
Philadelphia beat Milwaukee 126–106, a game noted for Tyrese Maxey finishing strongly around the rim and dominating the paint late. The margin and Maxey’s finish were central in postgame takeaways that credited the Sixers’ control in the closing stretches. The result is another regular-season win that factors into playoff positioning. (x.com)
Philadelphia closed its regular season with a 126-106 win over Milwaukee on Sunday, locking in the Eastern Conference’s No. 7 play-in spot. (nba.com) Tyrese Maxey led Philadelphia with 21 points in the win, while ESPN’s game log listed Cormac Ryan with 22 for Milwaukee. The game was played April 12 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. (espn.com) The result pushed the 76ers to 45-37, level with Orlando at 45-37, but Philadelphia finished seventh and Orlando eighth in the East under the league’s tiebreak procedures. Milwaukee ended 32-50 and missed the postseason for the first time since 2015-16. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) That mattered immediately because the National Basketball Association play-in tournament starts this week. Philadelphia is scheduled to host Orlando on Wednesday, April 15, in the East 7-versus-8 game. (espn.com) The winner of that game advances to the first round as the East’s No. 7 seed. NBA.com’s postseason schedule lists the play-in tournament for April 14 through April 17, with the playoffs opening April 18. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) For Milwaukee, Sunday was the end of a season that had already slipped out of the playoff picture. NBA.com’s preview called it the Bucks’ first losing season since 2015-16 and noted they had been eliminated from postseason contention before the finale. (nba.com) The Bucks still got one milestone in the loss. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported before and during the game that A.J. Green was chasing Ray Allen’s single-season franchise three-point record, and its live update said Green set the mark even as Milwaukee lost by 20. (jsonline.com) Philadelphia now moves from a 20-point regular-season finale to a one-game test against Orlando. Milwaukee goes into the offseason after a 32-win finish and a Sunday loss that ended its schedule. (espn.com) (nba.com)
