PHILADELPHIA — Tyrese Maxey scored 31 points, VJ Edgecombe added 19 points and 11 rebounds, and the Philadelphia 76ers weathered the absence of Joel Embiid to beat the Orlando Magic 109-97 on Wednesday night and secure the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
The Sixers moved on to a first-round series that begins Sunday at the second-seeded Boston Celtics.
Desmond Bane and the Magic aren’t done yet. They will host the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night, with the winner earning the No. 8 seed in the East and a first-round matchup with the top-seeded Detroit Pistons.
Embiid had an emergency appendectomy last week in Houston. Though the 76ers haven’t disclosed a timetable for his return, the two-time scoring champion was back with the team Wednesday, surprising teammates in the locker room and watching the game from the bench.
Maxey, named an Eastern Conference All-Star starter for the first time in his career, scored seven straight points late in the fourth to give the Sixers some breathing room against a Magic team that wasted a chance to play this game at home with a late collapse in a loss to the Celtics in the season finale.
Bane, who averaged 20.1 points and played all 82 games, carried Orlando’s offense with 34 points. He hit a 3 that moved Orlando to within two at 83-81 and Anthony Black hit a 3 that pulled the Magic to within one at 87-86.
Maxey had a bit more help down the stretch.
Andre Drummond filled the void left by Embiid with 14 points and 10 rebounds off the bench. Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 19 points and Paul George had 16.
George, who served a 25-game suspension this season for failing a drug test, hit a fadeaway jumper in the third quarter that stretched the lead to seven and prompted an Orlando timeout. He later popped the ball free and dumped it to Edgecombe, who dunked on — and got in the face of — Jalen Suggs for a 73-62 lead.
Edgecombe, the No. 3 pick in last year’s draft, was whistled for taunting and officials had to separate the teams. Oubre waved his arms toward a roaring crowd and the Sixers seemed primed to build some separation.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
