Orlando Magic-Philadelphia 76ers NBA Play-In game preview & odds

Q: What teams are playing in the NBA play-in game on April 15?

The Philadelphia 76ers are playing against the Orlando Magic in the NBA play-in game on April 15.

Q: Who will the winner of the 76ers vs. Magic game face in the playoffs?

The winner of the 76ers vs. Magic game will face the Boston Celtics in Round 1 of the NBA playoffs.

Q: What are the key player matchups in the 76ers vs. Magic game?

Key player matchups include point guards Jalen Suggs from the Magic and Tyrese Maxey from the 76ers.

Q: What happened in the NBA play-in games on April 14?

On April 14, the Charlotte Hornets eliminated the Miami Heat, and the Trail Blazers defeated the Suns to advance in the playoffs.

The NBA play-in games on April 14 kicked off the playoffs, and they were an all-time watch. The Charlotte Hornets eliminated the Miami Heat on a LaMelo Ball game-winning layup in overtime, and the Trail Blazers used Deni Avdija to slide past the Suns for a playoff series with the San Antonio Spurs.

Hopefully, April 15’s games are just as entertaining, with the Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic squaring off. The winner will face the No. 2 Boston Celtics in Round 1 of the NBA playoffs. Matchups will be key in determing the outcome of this series.

Point Guard: Jalen Suggs vs. Tyrese Maxey

Tyrese Maxey

Right away, you don’t need to look far in the lineup to find a key matchup. This is a matchup between two point guards who have vastly different roles and play-styles for their teams.

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Jalen Suggs is a solid, not spectacular option on offense, with 13.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game. However, his defensive capabilities make him a lot more valuable. He earned Defensive Player of the Year votes in 2023-24, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he earned more this season. He has a staggering 1.8 defensive box plus/minus, averaging the no. 11 most steals in the game (1.8 SPG).

Tyrese Maxey, however, is a superstar talent and arguably the best point guard in the game right now. He has 28.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game. He made his second All-Star appearance this season, and he’s above average on defense too (0.5 DBPM, 1.9 SPG). As a result, Maxey should win this one easily.

Winner: Tyrese Maxey

Shooting Guard: Desmond Bane vs. VJ Edgecombe

The shooting guard is also a matchup of contrasting backgrounds: a young, exciting rookie (Edgecombe) against a reliable veteran (Bane) that the Magic ponied a lot of first-round draft picks for.

The Magic struggled to shoot threes last season, ranking dead last in the league with a .318 3P%. They got Desmond Bane from the Memphis Grizzlies to improve the spacing significantly, but so far, that gamble hasn’t paid off. Bane is still a very good player, averaging 20.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game while leading the Magic in three-point percentage (39.1%). However, he’s shown more offensive chops in Memphis than in Orlando.

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Edgecombe, meanwhile, has been spectacular as a rookie. The contributions of Cooper Flagg with the Mavericks and Kon Knueppel with the Hornets have overshadowed how well Edgecombe has done in Philadelphia, but he deserves his props too. He’s averaged 16.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game. The only knock on him has been his efficiency, as he’s shooting just 43.8% from the field.

Due to that, Desmond Bane wins this matchup. Bane is a better shooter, although Edgecombe is marginally better at defense, with his -0.1 DBPM barely above Bane’s -0.2 DBPM. Bane also has experience in postseason basketball, whereas Edgecombe is a rookie.

Winner: Desmond Bane

Small Forward: Franz Wagner vs. Kelly Oubre Jr.

Franz Wagner

Losing Franz Wagner was the biggest reason why the Magic didn’t secure a playoff spot instead of a play-in game. Wagner has played in just 33 games due to various leg injuries, but since he came back into the lineup on April 1, the Magic are 5-2.

That makes all the sense. Wagner is arguably the best player on the Magic, with 20.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game. He could be the leading scorer in any given Magic game.

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Unfortunately, his impact dwarfs Kelly Oubre Jr.’s with the 76ers. Oubre Jr. is a decent starting option, with 14.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game. However, he’s never had a positive box plus/minus, and he’s earned a -1.4 this season. Wagner should win this matchup by a landslide.

Winner: Franz Wagner

Power Forward: Paolo Banchero vs. Paul George

Paul George

This is the biggest matchup of the game. At first glance, Banchero looks like the better player by a wide margin. He has a team-leading 22.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game, while George has 17.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game.

However, Paul George is a better defender than Banchero. George has earned DPOY votes four times in his career (2012-13, 2013-14, 2017-18, 2018-19), and even outside of his prime, he still has an above-average 0.7 DBPM, where Banchero sits at a 0.0 DBPM.

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Sure, George hasn’t been that efficient, shooting 43.9% from the field, but Banchero isn’t much better. He has a 45.9% shooting percentage, but just a 30.5% percentage from behind the arc. As a result of the advanced metrics, George earns the victory despite Banchero looking better on the box score.

Winner: Paul George

Center: Wendell Carter Jr. vs. Adem Bona

This matchup would’ve gone the 76ers way if Joel Embiid was playing. Unfortunately, the talented big man was ruled out for this game, which is a huge blow to the 76ers’ offensive attack.

Wendell Carter Jr. is available for the Magic. He’s not a focal point on the offense, with just 11.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game, but he’s able to score over 20 points every now and then, such as against April 3 against Dallas when he scored 28 points.

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He would be better than any other option the 76ers have at center. My guess would be Adem Bona, and the second-year center has just 4.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 0.5 assists. He hasn’t scored 20 points or higher in any game this season, and while he’s an above-average defensive center (1.2 blocks per game, 0.3 DBPM), he probably wouldn’t make a bigger impact than Carter Jr.

Winner: Wendell Carter Jr.

Magic vs. 76ers’ Bench

The Magic and 76ers don’t rely on their bench. They’re both near the bottom in bench points, with the 76ers ranking no. 29 (32.4 PPG) and the Magic ranking no. 28 (32.6 PPG). They’re similarly structured too.

Both teams have a guard that’s producing better than some starters. Anthony Black of the Magic has taken a step forward offensively (15.0 PPG), while Quentin Grimes continues to make the Mavericks regret trading him.

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As a result, the starters are the biggest factors in this game. With the 76ers losing Joel Embiid in this game, I don’t know if they can recover from that. The Magic have been amazing with Franz Wagner back in the lineup, so I believe they keep up their torrid pace and win by double-digits against the 76ers.

Winner: Orlando Magic

This game will take place at 7:30 p.m. ET, and the winner will face the no. 2 Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs. The loser will take on the Charlotte Hornets, who had a dramatic overtime victory over the Miami Heat.