76ers Secure 109-97 Victory Over Magic – April 16, 2026 Recap

Mo. Basuony

Published: April 15, 2026 11:03 PM ET

Philadelphia rallied past Orlando 109-97 on April 16, 2026 and secured the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The win came without Joel Embiid on the court. The Sixers will open their first-round series in Boston on Sunday.

Key performances

Tyrese Maxey led Philadelphia with 31 points. He scored seven straight late in the fourth quarter to create separation.

V.J. Edgecombe finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Andre Drummond added 14 points and 10 rebounds off the bench.

Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 19 points. Paul George contributed 16 and hit a key fadeaway jumper in the third quarter.

Desmond Bane led Orlando with 34 points. He averaged 20.1 points this season and played all 82 games.

Maxey’s late run proved decisive after Orlando cut the deficit with back-to-back threes from Bane and Anthony Black.

Edgecombe dunked on Jalen Suggs and was penalized for taunting. Officials separated the teams after the play.

Paul George previously served a 25-game suspension this season for failing a drug test.

The Sixers claimed the seventh seed and will play Game 2 in Boston on Tuesday. They return home for Game 3 on April 24.

Orlando still has a path to the playoffs. The Magic will host Charlotte on Friday for the No. 8 seed and a first-round matchup with Detroit.

Charlotte edged Miami 127-126 when Miles Bridges blocked Davion Mitchell’s buzzer attempt. LeMelo Ball will play despite a $35,000 fine.

The league fined Ball for an incident that tripped Bam Adebayo and caused a back injury that forced Adebayo out.

Joel Embiid underwent an emergency appendectomy last week in Houston. He returned to the team Wednesday and watched from the bench.

The 76ers have not provided a timetable for his return.

This recap appears courtesy of Filmogaz.com.