Sixers lock Celtics series
The Philadelphia 76ers outlasted the Orlando Magic in the play‑in and will meet the Boston Celtics in the opening round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. ( ).
Philadelphia beat Orlando 109-97 on Wednesday night to grab the Eastern Conference’s No. 7 seed and set up a first-round series against Boston. (nba.com) Tyrese Maxey scored 31 points for the 76ers, and rookie V.J. Edgecombe added 19 points and 11 rebounds in the play-in win at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Joel Embiid did not play. (espn.com) The play-in game matched the East’s No. 7 and No. 8 finishers, both 45-37 in the regular season, with the winner advancing directly into the playoff bracket. Orlando now drops into a second elimination game. (nba.com) Boston had been waiting on that result because the Celtics finished as the East’s No. 2 seed and were locked into facing the No. 7 seed. The series opens Sunday, April 19, at 1 p.m. Eastern at TD Garden. (cbsnews.com) The National Basketball Association’s first round begins April 18, but Boston-Philadelphia starts a day later as part of the league’s staggered opening weekend schedule. NBA.com lists Game 2 for April 21 in Boston, then Games 3 and 4 on April 24 and April 26 in Philadelphia. (nba.com, nba.com) That gives the Celtics a familiar opponent with a very different path into the bracket. Philadelphia had to survive the play-in just to get there, while Boston entered the week idle and already set for a best-of-seven series. (nba.com) For Philadelphia, the immediate question is health around Maxey after winning without Embiid. For Boston, the matchup starts with home court and a full week of certainty about the opponent, date and venue. (espn.com, cbsnews.com) The bracket is set now: Boston gets Philadelphia, starting Sunday afternoon in Boston, after the 76ers played their way in. (nba.com)
