The Philadelphia 76ers have secured their place in the 2026 NBA Play-In Tournament, finishing the regular season with a 45-37 record and the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference. They will host the No. 8 Orlando Magic on Wednesday, April 15, at 7:30 p.m. ET on Prime Video at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.
The Play-In Tournament runs April 14-17, with the first round of the NBA Playoffs beginning Saturday, April 18.
The NBA’s Play-In format, now a permanent fixture of the league calendar, requires teams finishing seventh through tenth in each conference to compete for the final two playoff spots. The seventh seed hosts the eighth seed, with the winner advancing directly to the playoffs as the No. 7 seed. Simultaneously, the ninth seed hosts the tenth seed in a win-or-go-home game. The loser of the 7-8 matchup then hosts the winner of the 9-10 game for the final No. 8 seed. The format effectively gives the bottom two seeds the steepest climb — they must win twice to advance, while the 7-seed needs just one win.
In the Eastern Conference, the Sixers’ 7-8 matchup against Orlando is joined by the No. 9 Charlotte Hornets hosting the No. 10 Miami Heat.
Philadelphia clinched the No. 7 seed with a 126-106 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on the final day of the regular season on April 12, with Tyrese Maxey leading a decisive 38-16 third-quarter run. Joel Embiid is listed out for Wednesday’s game after undergoing an appendectomy, leaving the offensive load on Maxey and forward Paul George, who has been in strong form since returning from suspension.
The Sixers were 23-18 at home this season. Orlando, which finished 19-20 on the road after dropping its regular-season finale 113-108 to the Celtics, enters as a slight underdog. Philadelphia won the season series 2-1, with all three meetings decided by 12 or more points.
As of Monday, the 76ers are 1.5-point home favorites with the over/under set at 220.5, according to the latest sportsbook lines.
The winner of the Sixers-Magic game advances to the NBA Playoffs as the No. 7 seed and will face the No. 2 Boston Celtics in the first round. The loser gets one more chance — hosting the winner of the Hornets-Heat game on Friday, April 17, for the No. 8 seed. Teams advancing from the Play-In will begin first-round action on April 18, facing top seeds who have had days of rest by comparison — a meaningful disadvantage in a best-of-seven series.
The format also comes with an evident physical toll, as teams fighting through the Play-In must execute at a high level with limited recovery time before the main bracket begins.
The full 2026 NBA Playoffs will air across Prime Video, ABC, NBC, and ESPN. The league office will confirm full first-round broadcast schedules once the Play-In concludes. For bettors following the postseason, the National Council on Problem Gambling offers resources for those who need support.
