The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Orlando Magic 109-97 on Wednesday night to officially advance into the 2026 NBA playoff bracket. Tyrese Maxey scored 31 points. Rookie VJ Edgecombe secured a double-double in his postseason debut. The win locks up the No. 7 seed and guarantees a first-round series against the Boston Celtics. The Sixers got the win despite the continued absence of star center Joel Embiid. He is sidelined recovering from a recent appendectomy.
This playoff trajectory is driven by a massive roster pivot following a disastrous 2024-25 campaign. The team fell to a 24-58 record last season. Severe overlapping injuries to Embiid, Maxey, and Paul George forced a lost year. That collapse gave Philadelphia the No. 3 overall draft pick. They used it to select Edgecombe. His immediate impact brought the team back to the postseason.
Edgecombe recorded 19 points and 11 rebounds against Orlando, according to a game report by CBS News Philadelphia. Sixers fans chanted “We want Boston” as the clock ran out in the fourth quarter.
BREAKING: Pakistan’s PM Shehbaz Sharif has arrived in Doha following his visit to Saudi Arabia yesterday.
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The Celtics finished the regular season with a 56-26 record. They hold the No. 2 seed. Game 1 is scheduled for Sunday, April 19, 2026, at 1:00 PM ET at the TD Garden in Boston. ABC will broadcast the matchup. This series is the first postseason meeting between these historic sports rivals since the 2023 NBA Playoffs. Boston beat Philadelphia in seven games during that series, according to a schedule update by CBS News Boston.