Joel Embiid provides an emotional lift and Tyrese Maxey carries the 76ers into the playoffs
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Tyrese Maxey and his 76ers teammates sent feelers out to Joel Embiid about the recovering All-Star center attending the play-in game. Embiid had been absent since his emergency appendectomy last week and the Sixers thought it would lift his spirits if he was part of their playoff push. Unsure of his answer hours ahead of tipoff Wednesday night against Orlando, Embiid surprised his teammates by walking into the locker room about an hour before the game.
He provided an emotional boost to Maxey and the Sixers just by showing up. “I gave him a big hug,” Maxey said. “I was glad to see him.
” Maxey took over in the fourth quarter, much the way Embiid did in so many crucial games over the years. Maxey scored 31 points, and V. J.
Edgecombe added 19 points and 11 rebounds in the Sixers' 109-97 win over the Magic that gave Philadelphia the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Sixers begin their first-round series Sunday at Boston.
Maxey, named an All-Star starter for the first time in his career, scored seven straight points late in the fourth to help the Sixers put away 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.