As Philadelphia 76ers fans realized that a first-round series against the Boston Celtics in the 2026 NBA Playoffs was on its way, the Xfinity Mobile Arena crowd was pumped with confidence.
“We want Boston” chants fired off moments before the Sixers played their victory song.
The Orlando Magic were put away with a score of 109-97. Without Joel Embiid in the mix, the Sixers landed a star-studded performance by Tyrese Maxey. The two-time All-Star scored 31 points in 42 minutes. He also racked up six assists and two rebounds.
Orlando now has a matchup against the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night. The Sixers will travel to Boston for Game 1 on Sunday afternoon.
As confident as the Philly crowd was for a first-round series against the Celtics, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith wants to make one thing clear: he doesn’t believe the Sixers have a shot.
Stephen A. Smith Throws Cold Water On A Potential Upset
GettySAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 05: Stephen A. Smith speaks at SiriusXM on Radio Row at Super Bowl LX on February 05, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM)
âPhilly fans will regret saying, âWe want Boston.â Youâre not beating the Boston Celtics. This is the 12th-straight year Boston is in the playoffs. Longest streak in the NBA by about four years,” Smith said on Thursday.
“This is a Boston Celtics team that parted ways with four out of its top eight players. They still finished as a No. 2 seed when Jayson Tatum missed 62 games. They still ended up being a top 2 seed in the Eastern Conference with their secondary star in Jaylen Brown, who is emerging as an MVP candidate because Jayson Tatum was out for 62 games. Thatâs the Boston Celtics team weâre talking about. This is par for the course for them. They ainât worried, they ainât fazed in the slightest by the Philadelphia 76ers.â
After Jayson Tatum suffered an Achilles injury a year ago, many assumed the Celtics would take a major hit in the standings. Some went as far as predicting the 2025-2026 season could be a gap year for the Celtics, similar to the Indiana Pacers.
However, that was far from the case. The Celtics finished the season with a 56-26 record. They were 4.0 games behind the first-seeded Detroit Pistons.
Mix this year’s success with Boston’s steady dominance over the 76ers in past playoff runs, and you have plenty of doubt in Philadelphia.
âTyrese Maxey is going to have to be spectacular in this series. VJ Edgecombe and Paul George are going to have to add some assistance because nobody thinks that Joel Embiid is going to be available,” Smith added. “… âThey were going to beat Philly with Embiid on the court. So you damn sure know they ainât going to lose to Philly without Joel Embiid on the court.â
Will Joel Embiid Play vs The Celtics?
GettyINGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 02: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers on the court against the LA Clippers in the second half at Intuit Dome on February 02, 2026 in Inglewood, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Sixers haven’t revealed an official timeline for Embiid’s return just yet.
After getting diagnosed with appendicitis last week, Embiid is just one week removed from surgery. He was ruled out for the Play-In games. All signs are pointing to Embiid missing Game 1 on Sunday. His official status will be revealed on Saturday, at the latest.
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