The Philadelphia 76ers will face the Orlando Magic in the 7 vs. 8 play-in game on Wednesday, with the winner securing the No. 7 seed for the playoffs. The Sixers won two out of three regular-season matchups against the Magic, including a key road victory despite poor shooting from beyond the arc.
The 2025-26 regular season is in the books and the Philadelphia 76ers will officially take on the Orlando Magic in the 7 vs. 8 play-in game on Wednesday. The winner will clinch the No. 7 seed and advance to take on the Boston Celtics in Round 1 of the playoffs with the loser taking on the winner of the 9 vs. 10 matchup between the Charlotte Hornets and the Miami Heat.
The Sixers took two out of three from the Magic in the regular season series with the one loss coming at home in the NBA Cup on Nov. 25 when Orlando won by 41. The Magic knocked down 13 3s that night and received 31 points from Anthony Black off the bench, but the Sixers earned a gritty win over the Magic on the road in January despite shooting just 4-for-28 from deep. It helped that they held Orlando to 4-for-29 shooting on 3-pointers that night.
It's now time to do a deep dive into this matchup and the factors for what's to come in a big postseason matchup on Wednesday:
Oct 27, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) reacts after scoring against the Orlando Magic during the fourth quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
In three games, Maxey averaged 30.7 points and 4.3 assists while shooting 46.4% from deep and 33.3% from deep against Orlando. His ability to get into the paint by using his quickness against the likes of Black, Jalen Suggs, and Desmond Bane is going to be a key factor in this matchup on Wednesday. He lived in the paint in the matchups with the Magic and used an array of finishes at the basket over Orlando's big men. That type of speed, quickness, and finishing ability is something Orlando can't account for.
On the flip side, Maxey had his struggles shooting the ball down the stretch after returning from the right finger tendon strain. He shot 32% from deep in the final nine games of the season so that finger is going to be a factor in this game. If he can't find a rhythm or handle the ball the way the Sixers need him to, then it's going to be a tough night for him against a physical Magic team.
Jan 9, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) drives to the basket over Philadelphia 76ers guard Vj Edgecombe (77) in the third quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
The Magic are not a great 3-point shooting team. They ranked 27th in the league in 3-point shooting at just 34.3% from deep on the season. Therefore, the Sixers should feel a bit more comfortable overhelping on the drives from Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner heading into this contest. Of course, the Sixers shouldn't just leave their shooters wide-open, but Philadelphia relies a lot on its help defense, and when considering the poor 3-point shooters on the Magic, it should make life a little easier for the Sixers on that end of the floor.
The challenge with Banchero will be keeping him off the free-throw line. He averaged 8.2 free-throw attempts on the season and he shot 11 in the Oct. 27 matchup between these teams. The Sixers limited him to just two in their Jan. 9 win on the road. Other than the free throws, Banchero struggled against Philadelphia as he shot just 44.4% from the floor and 1-for-7 from deep in two games. He also turned the ball over six times across the two contests so Philadelphia had success against him.
Jan 9, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Andre Drummond (1) dunks the ball over Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) in the second quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Without Joel Embiid, the Sixers will need to handle the rebounding battle against a sizeable Magic team. Orlando's center rotation of Wendell Carter Jr., Goga Bitadze, and Moe Wagner along with Banchero and Franz Wagner attacking the glass will be a tough battle. That's where guys like Kelly Oubre Jr., VJ Edgecombe, Maxey, and Dominick Barlow will have to help Andre Drummond and Adem Bona on the glass. While Drummond is almost like a vacuum when it comes to rebounding, he is just one man. The Sixers will need others to step up as the effort on the glass just might decide the winner in this one.
Jan 9, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) controls the ball against the Orlando Magic in the second quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
The Magic rank 17th in the league in shot-blocking as they don't have a real rim protector back there. That means guys like Maxey and Edgecombe should just put their heads down and attack the basket as much as they can. While Orlando relies heavily on its perimeter defenders, it doesn't have any real rim protection. That is where Philadelphia can thrive as it has a number of players who can put the ball on the floor and finish. Oubre should have some good moments in this one as well.
Jan 12, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) goes to the basket against Orlando Magic center Goga Bitadze (35) during the first quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images
Which Paul George shows up? The one who can clearly still hoop at a high level as he has shown since his return from suspension? Or the one who was hobbled by injuries before that time? He averaged 21.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2.2 steals while shooting 41.5% from deep on high volume in the final 10 games of the regular season. If he brings *that* type of efficiency and scoring ability, then the Sixers are going to be in good shape to make things happen in this postseason run.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Deep dive into Sixers vs. Magic play-in game: numbers, X-Factors
The game determines which team will clinch the No. 7 seed in the playoffs and face the Boston Celtics in Round 1.
The Sixers won two out of three games against the Magic, with their only loss occurring at home by 41 points.
The loser of the play-in game will face the winner of the 9 vs. 10 matchup between the Charlotte Hornets and the Miami Heat.
Anthony Black scored 31 points off the bench for the Magic in their win, while Tyrese Maxey has been a key performer for the Sixers in their matchups.
LIV Golf's future appears uncertain as reports suggest Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund may withdraw funding after investing $5 billion. Despite assurances for the 2026 season, the tour faces challenges from low ratings and strong competition from the PGA Tour.
Mike Trout's 446-foot HR joins him with Aaron Judge in Yankee Stadium lore.
Detroit Tigers projected to take a risk on a 6'3" prep bat in the MLB draft.
Arshdeep Singh makes history as the first PBKS bowler to reach 100 IPL wickets!
See every story in Sports ā including breaking news and analysis.