NBA play-in predictions: Magic-76ers? Warriors-Clippers? Our takes on who will advance

The NBA play-in tournament is off to a stunning start, with the Charlotte Hornets winning an overtime thriller against the Miami Heat to keep their season alive, and the Trail Blazers advancing to the playoffs with an upset win over the Phoenix Suns.

Play-in action continues Wednesday with two more high-stakes games.

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In the East, the No. 7 seed Philadelphia 76ers will host the No. 8 seed Orlando Magic, with the winner earning the No. 7 seed in the playoffs and a meeting with the Boston Celtics in the first round. The loser will play the Hornets on Friday to determine who will get the last playoff spot and a first-round series with the Detroit Pistons.

In the West, the No. 9 seed LA Clippers will host the No. 10 seed Golden State Warriors in an elimination game, with either Kawhi Leonard or Stephen Curry going home early. The winner will get to a Friday matchup with the Suns with the No. 8 seed on the line.

Who will advance Wednesday? Our writers break down the matchups and make their picks.

What’s your take on Magic-Sixers?

Dan Devine: The Magic have to get a handle on Tyrese Maxey. With Joel Embiid sidelined following an appendectomy, all eyes will be on the All-NBA point guard to serve as Philadelphia’s primary source of shot creation, both for himself and for his teammates. If the just-returned Anthony Black (who saw the bulk of the Maxey assignment in the teams’ three regular-season matchups) and Jalen Suggs can make life tough on Maxey, it’d go a long way toward defanging a Philly attack that has scored at a bottom-10 level in minutes without the big fella this season. To wit: In the 76ers’ two wins over Orlando, Maxey scored a combined 72 points; when he had a comparatively quiet 20 against Orlando during NBA Cup group play in November, the result was a 41-point Magic blowout.

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Nekias Duncan: The Magic have to impose their will. While I’m truly excited to watch a win-and-in game, VJ Edgecombe’s postseason debut, and the smooth-operating of Paul George (21-6-3 on 53/42/74 splits since his return), I can’t help but start with the Magic here. This has been such a topsy-turvy…

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Author : Yahoo Sports Staff

Publish date : 2026-04-15 05:01:00

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