The Philadelphia 76ers claimed the seventh seed in the Western Conference after taking down the Orlando Magic 109-97 in Wednesday’s gritty play-in battle.
With Joel Embiid on the sideline following his surgery to remove his appendix, the Sixers utilized a balanced approach to scoring on Wednesday. But the first quarter wasn’t ideal for either team on offense.
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While both teams shot poorly in the opening quarter, Philadelphia was ahead by four heading into the second.
The second quarter was when things began to heat up. The Sixers got contributions from a number of players including Paul George, Tyrese Maxey, Kelly Oubre and VJ Edgecombe. For Orlando, the scoring was more concentrated at the top. As Jalen Suggs and Wendell Carter Jr. struggled, Desmond Bane shouldered the scoring load.
Both sides put up 31 points in the second quarter.
In the third quarter, the physicality ramped up and players from both squads were dealt technicals. Adem Bona and Carter got into it before Suggs and Edgecombe got tangled up later on.
Philadelphia eventually pulled together an 8-0 scoring run to take control of the game in the third. Some scoring heroics from Bane helped Orlando cut the deficit to five after three quarters.
Both squads displayed solid ball movement as they took turns taking the lead in the fourth quarter. A quick 7-0 run from Maxey forced Orlando into a timeout with less than seven minutes to go.
As the minutes ticked away, Philadelphia maintained a small advantage. The Sixers were able to secure three huge defensive stops with less than two minutes to play before a corner three by Andre Drummond sealed the victory.
James Parker contributed to this story.
