Wednesday’s NBA play-in round produced two decisive winners as Golden State and Philadelphia moved a step closer to the postseason.
76ers 109, Magic 97
Philadelphia advanced to face the No. 2 seed Boston Celtics on Sunday after beating Orlando 109-97. The 76ers were playing without Joel Embiid, who underwent emergency surgery for appendicitis. Tyrese Maxey carried the offense with 31 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter to help close the game. Rookie VJ Edgecombe finished with a double-double (19 points, 11 rebounds), and Kelly Oubre Jr. contributed 19 points as well. Orlando’s offense struggled beyond Desmond Bane, who was the lone consistent scorer for the Magic with 34 points on 10-of-16 shooting. The Magic will get another chance at the playoffs Friday when they face the Charlotte Hornets for the No. 8 seed; Charlotte advanced by defeating Miami 127-126 in overtime on Tuesday.
Warriors 126, Clippers 121
Golden State rallied in the late game to defeat the LA Clippers 126-121, eliminating LA from postseason contention. Stephen Curry poured in 35 points, with a dominant second half—27 of those points—on 12-of-23 shooting. Gui Santos and Kristaps Porzingis each added 20 points to support the comeback. The Clippers were led by Bennedict Mathurin’s 23 points while Kawhi Leonard and Darius Garland chipped in 21 apiece; Garland fouled out with 46 seconds remaining, a crucial moment down the stretch. Golden State will now meet the Phoenix Suns on Friday for the No. 8 seed. (Portland beat Phoenix 114-110 on Tuesday to set up a Sunday meeting with the San Antonio Spurs.)
Top moments from Wednesday
– Maxey’s late scoring burst: 11 fourth-quarter points helped Philadelphia close the gap without Embiid.
– Edgecombe’s breakout night: a rookie double-double that steadied the 76ers on the glass and in transition.
– Curry’s second-half takeover: 27 points after halftime swung the outcome in Golden State’s favor.
– Key foul trouble for the Clippers: Darius Garland fouled out with under a minute left, hampering LA’s late comeback chances.
– Bane’s scoring display: despite the loss, Desmond Bane’s 34 points kept Orlando competitive.
What’s next
Philadelphia travels to Boston on Sunday, while Golden State will face Phoenix in a Friday play-in matchup. Orlando still has one more chance to clinch a seed against Charlotte on Friday.
