The Philadelphia 76ers held off the Orlando Magic 109-97 on Wednesday to book an NBA playoffs first-round meeting with the Boston Celtics.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Tyrese Maxey had 31 points to lead five Philadelphia players to score in double figures.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Rookie VJ Edgecombe added 19 points and 11 rebounds and Andre Drummond came off the bench to score 14 points with 10 rebounds, three steals and three blocked shots.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The 76ers' play-in victory -- with star big man Joel Embiid sidelined as he recovers from an appendectomy -- secured the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference and a first-round series against the second-seeded Celtics.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The Magic, led by 34 points from Desmond Bane, will have a last chance to grab the East eighth seed on Friday when they host the Charlotte Hornets, who knocked out the Miami Heat in a 127-126 overtime thriller on Tuesday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The reward for the winner of Friday's game will be a first-round series against East top seeds Detroit.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Philadelphia led most of the night but the Magic cut an 11-point deficit midway through the third quarter to one early in the fourth.<\/p>\r\n\r\n