Sixers Seal No.7 Seed

Philadelphia locked up the Eastern Conference’s No. 7 seed Wednesday night with a 109-97 play-in win over Orlando. (nba.com) Tyrese Maxey scored 31 points, and Philadelphia got 19 points and 11 rebounds from rookie VJ Edgecombe plus 16 points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals from Paul George. (sports.yahoo.com) The result sent the 76ers into a first-round series against Boston, with Game 1 set for Sunday, April 19, at 1 p.m. Eastern in Boston and Game 2 scheduled for April 21. (nba.com) That matchup puts Philadelphia straight into the bracket against the East’s No. 2 seed after two extra nights of play-in basketball. The National Basketball Association’s postseason format gives seeds 7 through 10 a separate tournament to claim the final two playoff spots. (nba.com) For the 76ers, the path reflects a season that still ran through Maxey even with Joel Embiid and George on the roster. Maxey averaged 28.3 points and 6.6 assists this season, while Edgecombe finished his rookie year at 16.0 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. (nba.com) George’s supporting line in the clincher also matched the role he carried much of the year. He entered the postseason averaging 17.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists across his 15th National Basketball Association season. (nba.com) Boston opens as the higher seed and with home court for at least the first two games, while Philadelphia arrives after surviving a single-elimination game to avoid the East’s 8-seed matchup. The remaining East play-in game on Friday, April 17, decides who faces No. 1 Detroit. (nba.com) The bracket is set now: Philadelphia’s reward for getting through Orlando is a quick turnaround and a Sunday opener at TD Garden. (nba.com)