Sixers clinch playoff spot behind 31 from Maxey in play-in win

The Philadelphia 76ers fought off the Orlando Magic Wednesday night, securing a win in the NBA play-in tournament and, more importantly, guaranteeing themselves a spot in the NBA playoffs. Tyrese Maxey led the way, scoring 31 points as the Sixers willed their way to a 109-97 victory without Joel Embiid.

Here’s what stood out.

Sixers rise to the occasion

Pressure makes diamonds.

With the weight of expectations on their shoulders and a physical matchup at hand, the Sixers met the moment against the Magic, thriving under that pressure instead of crumbling beneath it.

The game certainly had the feel of a postseason matchup, even though the officiating crew handled it with kid gloves. Five technical fouls were called between the two teams as they battled back and forth. Instead of letting those calls and their opponents’ physicality frustrate them, the Sixers met the Magic at the rim both figuratively and literally, finishing the night with nine blocks, led by a pair of three-block performances by Adem Bona and Andre Drummond. 

Tyrese Maxey once again took the lead with Joel Embiid still sidelined after undergoing an appendectomy. Fighting through contact nearly every trip down the court, Maxey finished with 31 well-earned points and six assists.

Paul George was everywhere for the Sixers, locking down Orlando at the perimeter and frequently finding open teammates on the other end. The veteran stars came up large for the Sixers, but one of the most impressive performances came from the rookie, VJ Edgecombe.

Edgecombe has rarely been shy in big moments. Whether it was playing for the Bahamian national team, facing some of the biggest names in the NBA, or his first postseason appearance. Posting a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds, Edgecombe proved ready for the latest test in his young NBA career and played a major role as the Sixers officially clinched the No. 7 seed.

Other takeaways

• Andre Drummond continued to shine, posting a double-double from the bench with 14 points, 10 rebounds and six combined blocks and steals. Drummond’s success has lately stood out even more compared to Bona’s struggles. This game began the same way, but Bona bounced back from his first-half struggles, and the Sixers had major contributions from both of their centers in this game.
• Kelly Oubre continues to serve when called upon. Oubre finished this game with 19 points, knocking down 5-of-10 shots from three, opening up the floor for the Sixers’ offense. Defensively, he was a major player holding every Magic player not named Desmond Bane to a quiet night.

Up next for the Sixers

With this win, the Sixers secured the No. 7 seed in the East and will face the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs.

The Sixers’ playoff push officially begins on Sunday, April 19. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. ET in Boston.

Unless otherwise stated, all stats included in this article are via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass, Basketball Reference or Team Rankings. All salary information via Spotrac.

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