By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Orlando Magic 109–97 at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Wednesday to clinch the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference via the 2026 SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament.
Led by Tyrese Maxey’s 31 points and a strong 19-point, 11-rebound double-double from rookie V.J. Edgecombe, Nick Nurse’s side successfully navigated the absence of Joel Embiid. Turkish starter Adem Bona provided a defensive spark for the Sixers, contributing two points, three rebounds, and three blocks in 16 minutes. Philadelphia now advances to a best-of-seven series against the Boston Celtics in the opening round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs, presented by Google.
The Magic, who must now host the Charlotte Hornets on Friday at the Kia Center for the final eighth seed, face concerns regarding German star Franz Wagner. The 24-year-old combo forward recorded 12 points, four rebounds, and three assists before sustaining a left knee injury in a collision with teammate Wendell Carter Jr. during the final minute. Despite the scare, he remained optimistic after the game, joking that Carter Jr. is ‘obviously not the best person to run into, but yeah, I’m OK though’. The visitors also featured German reserve Tristan da Silva, who had four points in 14 minutes, and Georgian center Goga Bitadze, who tallied two points and a steal. Germany’s Moritz Wagner and France’s Noah Penda remained out of Jamahl Mosley’s rotation.
In the Western Conference, the Golden State Warriors pulled off a stunning comeback to eliminate the Los Angeles Clippers with a 126–121 victory at Intuit Dome. Although the hosts led by as many as 13 points early in the fourth quarter and Kawhi Leonard controlled the first half, Stephen Curry hit a clutch sequence of three-pointers to give his side a three-point lead with 50.2 seconds remaining, and the team coached by Steve Kerr held on to prevail. The 38-year-old combo guard finished with a game-high 35 points.
Latvian starter Kristaps Porzingis delivered an efficient performance for the Warriors, posting 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting, including three triples, alongside five rebounds, five assists, and two blocks in 28 minutes. Dutch players Malevy Leons and Quinten Post stayed on the bench and on the injury list, respectively. With the late surge, they advance to an elimination game against the Phoenix Suns in Mortgage Matchup Center on Friday, with the winner earning the eighth seed and a first-round matchup against the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder.
For the Clippers, veteran French forward Nicolas Batum and Serbian guard Bogdan Bogdanovic were out of the rotation to end their 2025-26 campaigns, with Swiss center Yanic Konan Niederhauser remaining sidelined for the season.