Sixers lock No. 7 seed

Philadelphia is in the Eastern Conference bracket after a 109-97 play-in win over Orlando on Wednesday, April 15, locking up the No. 7 seed. (nba.com) (espn.com) Tyrese Maxey scored 31 points, and rookie V.J. Edgecombe added 19 points and 11 rebounds for Philadelphia at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Joel Embiid did not play, but the Sixers still closed with a 30-point fourth quarter. (espn.com) (nba.com) Orlando trailed 59-55 at halftime and stayed within range into the second half before Philadelphia won the fourth quarter 30-23. Desmond Bane led the Magic, and Orlando dropped into the final East play-in game instead of clinching outright. (espn.com) (nba.com) The play-in format sends the winner of the No. 7 versus No. 8 game directly into the playoffs as the conference’s No. 7 seed. That result set Philadelphia into a first-round series against Boston, with Game 1 scheduled for Sunday, April 19. (nba.com) (espn.com) That matchup mattered because Philadelphia finished the regular season 45-37 and had to survive the extra play-in step to reach the main bracket. Orlando, also 45-37, now gets one more chance to claim the No. 8 seed against the winner of the 9-10 game. (nba.com) (espn.com) The win also fixed one side of the Eastern Conference bracket before the playoffs open on April 18. Boston had already secured the No. 2 seed, so Philadelphia’s result turned a pending slot into a set Celtics-Sixers series. (nba.com) (usatoday.com) For Philadelphia, the immediate question is whether Embiid can return for the opening round after the Sixers advanced without him on Wednesday night. For Orlando, the season is still alive, but the direct path to the playoffs is gone. (espn.com) (sports.yahoo.com)