PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers reached out to Joel Embiid to gauge whether their recovering star center might attend Wednesday night’s crucial play-in matchup, hoping his presence could provide a morale boost during their postseason pursuit.
The All-Star big man had been sidelined following emergency appendix surgery the previous week, and his teammates weren’t certain he would show up until Embiid unexpectedly entered the locker room roughly an hour before game time against the Orlando Magic. His mere appearance energized Tyrese Maxey and the entire squad.
“I gave him a big hug,” Maxey said. “I was glad to see him.”
When crunch time arrived, Maxey stepped up in the final period the same way Embiid has done during pivotal moments throughout his career.
The guard finished with 31 points while rookie V.J. Edgecombe contributed 19 points and 11 rebounds as Philadelphia defeated Orlando 109-97, clinching the Eastern Conference’s seventh playoff position.
Philadelphia will face Boston in the opening round starting Sunday.
Maxey, who earned his first All-Star starting selection this season, delivered seven consecutive points during the closing minutes to help seal the victory over the Magic.
“It was just me deciding I wanted to be aggressive,” Maxey said. “I had some really good looks that I missed early in the third, that I made in the first half. So I was just really confident I was going to make some shots.”
The franchise’s all-time leader in three-pointers connected on three shots from beyond the arc and converted 11 of 25 field goal attempts, helping the Sixers reach the playoffs after finishing 24-58 last season.
“He’s been doing a bit of that lately as far as understanding we need kind of his greatness at the right time,” coach Nick Nurse said.
While Philadelphia has historically relied on Embiid’s dominant performances, the organization has also learned to adapt when the frequently injured former MVP is unavailable.
Team officials haven’t established a timeline for Embiid’s comeback from the appendix procedure. The two-time scoring champion participated in video review sessions Wednesday and observed the contest from the sideline.
Maxey will need to maintain his high level of play for Philadelphia to compete effectively against Boston.
Home fans chanted “We want Boston!” during the game’s final moments, though history suggests caution — the 76ers have dropped their past six playoff matchups with the Celtics. Philadelphia’s last series victory over Boston came in 1982.
Those concerns can wait for future preparation sessions. Maxey departed the court to thunderous applause from the crowd, which included Allen Iverson, as teammates surrounded him in celebration.
“I promised some guys we were going to get in the playoffs,” Maxey said.
Last season’s disappointing campaign did yield one positive outcome: securing the third overall draft selection. The Sixers, who selected several unsuccessful prospects during their extensive rebuilding period, appear to have made an excellent choice by picking Edgecombe from Baylor.
The 20-year-old rookie began the campaign with 34 points against Boston, recording the third-highest point total for any NBA player in their debut game. He delivered another strong performance in his first play-in appearance with 19 points and 11 rebounds.
Officials assessed Edgecombe a taunting penalty following a dunk in the third quarter, and referees had to intervene when tensions escalated between both teams.
“I was tweaking a little bit tonight,” Edgecombe said. “I guess it happens when you let a kid play such a high-intensity game. I was out there having fun. If I’ve got to play wild for us to win, I’ll play wild.”
