Sixers outlast Magic in play-in tournament, will face Celtics in first round of playoffs

Sixers outlast Magic in play-in tournament, will face Celtics in first round of playoffs

Desmond Bane was keeping the Magic alive Wednesday night in a play-in tournament matchup deciding the Eastern Conference’s No. 7 seed. Philadelphia 76ers star Tyrese Maxey broke his spell.

Bane, who scored a valiant 34 points and accounted for four of Orlando’s seven 3s, fueled a comeback that nearly erased an 11-point Sixers lead.

Before he could reclaim the lead, Maxey waved his wand.

Poof.

The two-time All-Star guard pocketed nine of Philadelphia’s next 11 points, including seven in a row. Maxey finished with 31 points and six assists, and veteran center Andre Drummond sunk a 3-pointer that put an exclamation point on a 109-97 victory.

With the win, the Sixers now have the No. 7 seed and a date with the rival Boston Celtics, the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 seed, in the first round of the playoffs. The Magic, meanwhile, are in jeopardy of missing out on the main bracket. Orlando’s season will be on the line Friday night, when it will welcome in a Charlotte Hornets squad buzzing after it opened the play-in tournament with an overtime win over the Miami Heat on Tuesday.

The Sixers won two of the their three regular-season games against the Magic, although, before Wednesday, the teams hadn’t met since Jan. 9.

Both teams haven’t been at full strength most of this season. Wednesday marked just the 25th time Orlando’s top-two scorers, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, shared the court. Wagner, though, remained on the increasingly lenient minutes restriction he’s managed since returning from a midseason high ankle sprain.

Likewise, Philadelphia has had its three max players — Joel Embiid, Paul George and Maxey — on the floor together for just 21 games in 2025-26. The Sixers were notably missing Embiid on Wednesday, as the one-time league MVP is still recovering from an emergency appendectomy.

The Sixers were in the driver’s seat for the majority of the first half Wednesday. They made seven triples over the opening two quarters, and three of them came from wing Kelly Oubre Jr. in the first frame. His third 3-pointer beat the shot and game clock to give Philadelphia a 28-24 advantage heading into the second quarter.

Oubre and Tyrese Maxey starred for Nick Nurse’s squad early, but others eventually stepped up. Paul George paired a mid-range jumper with a 3-pointer, and Quentin Grimes delivered an and-1, as the Sixers kept their foot on the gas.

Despite struggling from beyond the arc — the Magic converted just 3-of-11 triples in the first half — and being held back by untimely turnovers, Orlando hung around. Jamahl Mosley’s crew was spearheaded by Bane and Banchero. Along the way, the Magic did most of their work in the paint and at the free-throw line. In fact, eight of Bane’s 19 first-half points came from charity stripe.

Banchero swung an extra pass to Jalen Suggs to set up a go-ahead 3 late in the second quarter. The Sixers, however, closed the first half up 59-55, courtesy of a 9-2 run that saw VJ Edgecombe spin through contact and score a layup, plus Drummond net his 33rd 3-pointer of the season.

In the third quarter’s infancy, Philadelphia strung together an 8-0 run to pull ahead 67-60. Oubre capped that surge with another 3.

Later, the Sixers stretched their lead to 11. Defense helped them establish that cushion. Adem Bona got the Xfinity Mobile Arena crowd going with a pair of blocks, the first of which denied Orlando’s Wendell Carter Jr. Then George poked the ball free from Banchero, setting the stage for a Edgecombe layup in transition.

Bane’s Herculean effort restored the drama. A self-made 6-0 run from Orlando’s big offseason acquisition pulled the Magic within three in the third quarter.

Then a Bane triple in the fourth made it a two-point game.

That’s when Maxey hit the accelerator. In a blink, the Sixers were in control again. They held on down the stretch and returned to the playoffs after missing out last season.

The Magic would have had home-court advantage Wednesday had they defeated the Celtics in their regular-season finale. Boston was resting its core, but Orlando failed to capitalize, instead watching its five-game win streak come to an end at the hands of Luka Garza, Baylor Scheierman and Ron Harper Jr.

Because of that loss, and Philadelphia topping the Milwaukee Bucks in game No. 82, the Sixers hosted Wednesday’s play-in game.

Whoever wins Friday’s play-in game between Orlando and Charlotte will claim the No. 8 seed and take on the top-seeded Detroit Pistons in the opening round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.