The Sixers got 31 points from Tyrese Maxey on Wednesday as they claimed the seventh seed in the East with a 109-97 win over the Magic. Maxey broke open a tight game by scoring seven straight points late in the fourth quarter to give Philadelphia a victory in front of its home fans. Orlando lost the opportunity to host the play-in matchup by falling to Boston on Sunday in the final game of the regular season.
Sixers players got a pregame surprise as Joel Embiid greeted them in locker room for the first time since undergoing an emergency appendectomy last week in Houston, according to Dan Gelston of The Associated Press. There’s still no timetable for Embiid to return, but he felt well enough to watch Wednesday’s game from the bench.
Adem Bona got the start at center in place of Embiid, but veteran Andre Drummond had the more effective night, according to Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports. Drummond finished with 14 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, three steals and three blocks in nearly 32 minutes and helped to offset Orlando’s natural advantage on the boards. Drummond also went 2-of-3 from three-point range, and Neubeck observes that he has become more comfortable knocking down corner threes.
Rookie guard VJ Edgecombe contributed 19 points and 11 rebounds in his first postseason appearance and pushed the ball on the fast break several times in an otherwise slow game, Neubeck adds. He noted that Orlando’s vaunted defensive guards had trouble keeping up with Edgecombe when he reached full speed.
“I was tweaking a little bit tonight,” Edgecombe said (Twitter video link). “… I guess that happens when you let a kid play in such a high intensity game. I was out there having fun. If I gotta play wild for us to win, I’ll play wild.”
The Sixers’ victory sets up a first-round series against the Celtics, with Game 1 set for 1:00 pm ET on Sunday. The NBA announced that this will be the 23rd playoff meeting between the two teams, making it the most frequent matchup in the league’s postseason history.
The Magic will host the Hornets at 7:30 pm ET on Friday with the No. 8 seed in the East up for grabs. The winner will face the Pistons in the first round with the opening game set for 6:30 pm ET on Sunday.
So I don’t like their prospects, but the teams I’m rooting for in these playoffs are the Trailblazers and the Sixers. It’s a tough road but damned if they aren’t entertaining.
Celtics vs Sixers should be fun ….
Warriors with a nice win. Can’t believe they won.
Thunder own Clippers pick. Crazy right.
Thunder have like three #1 picks. Trade for Giannis. Get over with already.
Curry played so well!
With and without Curry. Is like night and day lol.
Celtics in 6.
I told y’all the Warriors would win, Porzingis and Horford 34 pts 8 rebs vs Lopez 17 pts 5 reb. Horford 12 pts on 4-4 from three in the 4th outscored Steph with 11 on 4-6/2-3/1-2.
Well that’s why you signed Al. That experience.
But littlegiant always says Lopez is finished. Pretty good for a guy who’s finished huh littkefella ….
They needed all of Curry’s 35. Good win.
I love when Al gets going from 3. His deep ball skills have come a long way from early in his career.
Al plays to win. He’s not flashy just steady. His shot has improved over the yrs. He knew he could mins in GS. He’s for them. Dominicano !!
Yep! He helped develope the younger Celtics and delivered a championship.
I don’t care where he goes I just hope he plays until he can’t anymore and he’s obviously still capable! That’s my guy!!!
The SGA trade will haunt the clips for another 5 years. Getting away from LAC probably helped SGA development a ton too. Didn’t get to learn how to be an NBA-hole from Klaw and Harden either.
Amazing what Thunder got in that deal lol.
I like SGA his size . But I never saw MVP. He is serious about his game. Great talent.
Even as a Sixers fan I have no hope for us against the Celtics
Celtics will put White and Brown on Maxey and VJ, then Tatum on PG and outside of them we will desperately looking at Grimes and Oubre.
Down the other end sure VJ PG and Oubre have done alright defensively but they won’t be able to contain Brown and Tatum.
Not to mention their weak spot was always centre and now they have Vuce and Queta and Embiid is out. Bona and Drummond ain’t doing a thing.
I think we will be lucky to win 1 game unfortunately but oh well hopefully that just puts pressure on the owners to make changes in the front office, process is over and time for a new regime.
I also have no hope for this series and perhaps the next 3 years lol. My main hope was merely to get in so VJ could get some playoff experience. To me he has been the 2nd best rookie yet doesn’t even get mentioned in those conversations. VJ is the future and this will help him take another step both now and in the future. He played well in a playoff environment last night! I’d love to win 1 or 2 against the celts but I doubt it. Just get the young buck some experience
I expect this to be a decent series even without The Process. Hopefully he get well soon after the Celtics win in 5 or 6 lol
Just need to get VJ some experience. When they can get rid of Joel and PG in 2-3 years and Maxey has demanded a trade to a real team, VJ will be getting his max extension and will be leading the charge along with whatever over the hill max contract free agent signing we get in 2030.
Yes, this is where we are at. I no longer hope for next year, I hope for 3 years down the road. It’s hard to be a Sixers fan.
Even if the Sixers go up 3-0 I am not getting sucked back in I know they’ll lose 4 straight somehow
If Drummond plays like a beast. Tgey can scare the Celtics. Sixers guards are a problem for Celtics lol.
Celtics will take the sixers lunch.