Maxey fuels Sixers’ win
Philadelphia beat Orlando 109–97 in the play‑in as Tyrese Maxey poured in a team‑high 31 points to send the Sixers into the playoff field. (game recap) (espn.com) Maxey’s scoring came with support from VJ Edgecombe and Kelly Oubre Jr., and Philadelphia now moves on to face Boston in the first round. (detailed take) (nytimes.com)
Philadelphia is in the playoff bracket after beating Orlando 109-97 on Wednesday night behind 31 points from Tyrese Maxey in the Eastern Conference play-in game. (nba.com) (espn.com) Maxey shot 11 for 25 from the field and 6 for 8 at the foul line, while rookie V. J. Edgecombe added 19 points and 11 rebounds for Philadelphia. (espn.com) (nba.com) Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 17 points, and Philadelphia closed with a 30-23 fourth quarter after the teams were tied 59-59 at halftime. Orlando got 34 points from Desmond Bane in the loss. (espn.com) (basketball-reference.com) The win gave the 76ers the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference and set a first-round series against the Boston Celtics that opens Sunday, April 19, in Boston. Orlando dropped into the final play-in game for the No. 8 seed. (nba.com) (espn.com) That result capped a quick turnaround for Philadelphia, which finished the regular season 45-37 after missing the playoffs the year before. Orlando also finished 45-37, but the play-in matchup decided which team moved straight into the field. (espn.com) (wikipedia.org) Philadelphia did it without Joel Embiid, who was out for the game, pushing more of the offense onto Maxey and more rebounding onto Edgecombe. The Associated Press recap said the 76ers “weathered the absence of Joel Embiid” to secure the berth. (nba.com) (espn.in) For Orlando, the loss did not end the season. The Magic are scheduled to host the Charlotte Hornets on Friday, April 17, at 7:30 p.m. Eastern for the East’s last playoff spot. (nba.com) (orlandosentinel.com) For Philadelphia, the next step is immediate and harder: a road series against a Boston team that finished 56-26 and took the No. 2 seed in the conference. (espn.com)
