76ers clinch No. 7 seed

Philadelphia is in the Eastern Conference playoffs after beating Orlando 109-97 on Wednesday night in the play-in game for the No. 7 seed. (cbsnews.com) Tyrese Maxey scored 31 points, and V.J. Edgecombe added 19 points and 11 rebounds for Philadelphia at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Joel Embiid did not play, and Orlando got 34 points from Desmond Bane. (apnews.com) The win moved the 76ers into a first-round series against the Boston Celtics, with Game 1 set for Sunday in Boston. Orlando dropped into the East’s final play-in game and still has one more chance to reach the bracket. (nba.com) The National Basketball Association’s play-in tournament sends the teams that finish seventh through 10th in each conference into a short round for the last two playoff spots. The seventh-place game gives the winner the No. 7 seed, while the loser gets another game against the winner of the ninth-versus-10th matchup. (nba.com) That format mattered for Philadelphia because the 76ers finished the regular season 45-37 and avoided a second elimination game by winning immediately. The updated bracket lists Boston as the No. 2 seed and Philadelphia as its first-round opponent in the East. (espn.com, bleacherreport.com) The result also extended a strange season for Philadelphia, which advanced without Embiid in this game and leaned on Maxey and Edgecombe instead. Maxey finished 11-for-25 from the field, and Edgecombe’s double-double gave the 76ers a second scorer and rebounder on the same night. (espn.com, basketball-reference.com) For Orlando, the loss did not end the season. The Magic entered the play-in at 45-37 as well, and the tournament format leaves them one more game to try to claim the No. 8 seed. (espn.com, nba.com) Philadelphia’s next game will count in a full playoff series, not a one-night qualifier. The 76ers got there by taking the first chance they had. (nba.com)