Tyrese Maxey’s 31 helps Sixers beat Magic 109-97 in play-in game, will face Celtics in first-round series

Tyrese Maxey scored 31 points, VJ Edgecombe added 19 points and 11 rebounds, and the 76ers weathered the absence of Joel Embiid to beat the Orlando Magic 109-97 on Wednesday night and secure the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The Sixers will move on to a first-round series that begins Sunday at the Boston Celtics.

Desmond Bane and the Magic aren’t done yet. They will host Charlotte on Friday night, with the winner earning the No. 8 seed in the East and a first-round matchup with Detroit.

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The Hornets held on to beat Miami 127-126 when Miles Bridges blocked Davion Mitchell’s attempt at a winning layup at the buzzer. Charlotte’s LeMelo Ball will play, although he was fined $35,000 for what the league said was an uncalled flagrant foul when he tripped Bam Adebayo, causing a back injury that forced the Miami star out of the game.

Embiid had an emergency appendectomy last week in Houston. While the Sixers haven’t given a timetable for his return, the two-time scoring champion returned to the team on Wednesday, surprising teammates in the locker room and watching the game from the bench.

Maxey, named an Eastern Conference All-Star starter for the first time in his career, scored seven straight points late in the fourth to give the Sixers some breathing room against a Magic team that wasted a chance to play this game at home with a late collapse in a loss to the Celtics in the season finale.

Bane, who averaged 20.1 points and played all 82 games, carried Orlando’s offense with 34 points. He hit a three that brought Orlando within two points and Anthony Black hit a three that pulled the Magic to 87-86.

Maxey had a bit more help down the stretch.

Andre Drummond filled the void left by Embiid with 14 points and 10 rebounds off the bench. Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 19 points and Paul George had 16.

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George, who served a 25-game suspension this season for flunking a drug test, hit a fadeaway jumper in the third quarter that stretched the lead to seven and prompted an Orlando timeout. He later popped the ball free and dumped it to Edgecombe, who dunked on — and got in the face of — Jalen Suggs for a 73-62 lead.

Edgecombe, the No. 3 overall pick in last year’s draft, was whistled for taunting and officials had to separate the teams. Oubre waved his arms toward a roaring crowd and the Sixers seemed primed to build some separation.

Game 2 between the Sixers and Celtics will be on Tuesday in Boston, and the Sixers return home for Game 3 on April 24.