76ers clinch No. 7 seed

Philadelphia grabbed the Eastern Conference’s No. 7 playoff seed Wednesday night, beating Orlando 109-97 in the play-in and moving into a first-round series with Boston. (nba.com) Tyrese Maxey scored 31 points for Philadelphia in the win, according to the National Basketball Association’s live recap. Orlando dropped into the East’s final play-in game after entering as the No. 8 team. (nba.com) The play-in is a three-game mini-bracket for the teams that finish seventh through 10th in each conference. The No. 7 team hosts No. 8 for one playoff spot, while No. 9 plays No. 10 and the winner gets one more game for the last berth. (espn.com) That format turned one result into two different paths Wednesday. Philadelphia advanced directly into the main bracket, while Orlando stayed alive and will host Charlotte on Friday, April 17, at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time for the East’s No. 8 seed. (espn.com) Boston is waiting on the other side of the bracket as the East’s No. 2 seed. The National Basketball Association playoff bracket lists Philadelphia as the No. 7 seed opposite the Celtics in the first round. (nba.com) Charlotte reached Friday’s game by beating Miami 127-126 in overtime on Tuesday, eliminating the Heat and extending the Hornets’ season by at least one more game. Orlando now gets home court because the Magic finished eighth and Charlotte finished ninth. (espn.com) The broader playoff field is nearly set. The National Basketball Association says the 2026 play-in tournament runs April 14-17, and the first round of the playoffs begins Saturday, April 18. (nba.com) So Philadelphia’s next opponent is locked in, and Orlando’s margin is gone. By late Friday night, the East bracket will have its last team and the 76ers will know exactly when the Boston series starts. (espn.com)