3 biggest takeaways for Sixers following play-in win over Magic

"I think he's been doing a bit of that lately," said coach Nick Nurse. "As far as understanding, we need kind of his greatness at the right time. Not as meaningful game the other night, but we looked really bad in the first half as a team, and he just came out and just decided to spark the team, and then everybody kind of got in the flow. So, it's kind of the same. I thought it wasn't easy. They were putting a lot of people in his way. So, I thought he was really patient with when he decided to get downhill, and the decisions he made late."

Sixers limit Orlando's wings

Apr 15, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) drives against Philadelphia 76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (9) and center Andre Drummond (1) during the second quarter of a play-in round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The Magic rely heavily on Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner creating offense off the dribble, and the Sixers did a fantastic job of limiting them both. Of course, Wagner is dealing with an ankle injury so that limited him a bit, but the Sixers held him in check as he shot just 5-for-11 with 12 points. Banchero shot just 7-for-22 from the floor and 0-for-5 from deep while committing six turnovers in 36 minutes. Philadelphia did a great job of limiting them both in this instance.

"Discipline," Drummond said. "Knowing that they like to do the sweep through. Paolo with the spin move, and he gets fouled a lot of those plays. We're very disciplined. We were there to help each other. When he did make those spins, we were there to get the steal or make him make a bad decision. So it was great to see."

Oubre providing a lift on 3-point shots

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 15: Tyrese Maxey #0, Kelly Oubre Jr. #9 and Quentin Grimes #5 of the Philadelphia 76ers high five during the first half of an NBA play-in tournament game against the Orlando Magic at Xfinity Mobile Arena on April 15, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

The Magic left Oubre open on quite a few occasions in the first quarter and he drilled three, including a corner one at the buzzer to give the Sixers a 4-point lead after one quarter. The 11-year veteran from Kansas has worked extremely hard on that shot and shot a career-high 36% from deep in the regular season. He was able to set the tone early and it makes life easier for everybody on the roster when he is able to knock down shots at the type of level he was able to get against Orlando.

"It’s always a weight lifted whenever you make your first couple," Oubre said after the win. "I actually missed my first two, I think, or something like that, and just staying with it. If I was gonna be that open, then I'm gonna shoot it with confidence, and once I see one go in, I'm able to just string together a good little run of 3s. So tonight was a great game, but on to the next. Gotta be consistent with that, if that's gonna be the game plan going forward."

This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: 3 biggest takeaways for Sixers following play-in win over Magic