76ers Play Without Embiid
Philadelphia faced the Orlando Magic in a play‑in game notably without Joel Embiid on the court, shifting the matchup narrative to how the 76ers would compensate. (espn.com) The absence became the primary roster storyline during Wednesday’s slate as teams jockeyed for playoff positioning. (sports.yahoo.com)
Philadelphia opened its play-in game against Orlando on Wednesday without Joel Embiid, leaving Tyrese Maxey as the center of its offense in a win-and-in matchup. (nba.com) The game tipped at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, with both teams entering at 45-37. Philadelphia held the No. 7 spot and home court because it won the season series 2-1. (nba.com) Embiid was ruled out with what the 76ers listed as “post appendectomy surgery recovery.” ESPN reported he underwent emergency surgery in Houston on April 9 after being diagnosed with appendicitis before a loss to the Rockets. (nba.com) (espn.com) That changed the shape of the matchup because the play-in format gives the No. 7 and No. 8 teams one game for the No. 7 seed. The winner draws the Boston Celtics in the first round, and the loser gets one more home game Friday for the No. 8 seed. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) Philadelphia reached this spot by beating Milwaukee 126-106 on the final day of the regular season while Orlando lost 113-108 to a Boston team resting its top seven scorers. That swing flipped the teams in the standings and sent the game to Philadelphia instead of Orlando. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) Without Embiid, the 76ers leaned on a roster that NBA.com said finished 16th in offensive rating and 17th in defensive rating this season. Orlando entered with the league’s No. 13 defense and an offense that ranked 18th while leading the National Basketball Association in free-throw attempts per game at 27.5. (nba.com) The absence also fit a season-long pattern for Philadelphia. NBA.com’s game preview said Embiid, now 32, missed 44 games because of injuries and illnesses before the appendectomy sidelined him again in the postseason race. (nba.com) The 76ers still had recent evidence they could survive this matchup. Maxey scored 29 points in a 103-91 win over Orlando on January 9, and Philadelphia won 12 of the last 15 home meetings in the series entering Wednesday night. (nba.com) By late in the fourth quarter, Philadelphia led 104-97, putting the short-handed version of the 76ers within minutes of the East’s No. 7 seed. (nba.com)
