The Philadelphia 76ers are back in the playoffs, and they have Tyrese Maxey's fourth-quarter magic to thank. In a tense play-in tournament clash Wednesday night, Maxey took over when it mattered most, scoring nine of the Sixers' next 11 points to extinguish a furious Orlando Magic comeback led by Desmond Bane's 34-point effort.

Maxey, the two-time All-Star guard, finished with a game-high 31 points and six assists, steering the Sixers to a decisive 109-97 victory. The win wasn't sealed, however, until veteran big man Andre Drummond—in a moment that perfectly captured the game's unpredictable energy—drilled a three-pointer to put an exclamation point on the performance.

With this win, Philadelphia clinches the Eastern Conference's No. 7 seed and a highly-anticipated first-round playoff series against their historic rivals, the No. 2 seeded Boston Celtics. It's a swift return to the postseason after missing out last year, setting the stage for a classic NBA showdown.

The Magic, who fought valiantly behind Bane's scoring barrage, now face elimination. Their season hinges on a win Friday night against a confident Charlotte Hornets team fresh off an overtime upset of the Miami Heat.

This game was a battle of teams navigating significant injury woes all season. Orlando's star duo of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner have shared the court only 25 times, and Wagner is still on a minutes restriction. Similarly, the Sixers' trio of Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey have played just 21 games together this campaign, with Embiid notably absent for this critical play-in contest. Maxey's leadership in his absence makes this playoff berth all the more impressive and sets up a thrilling, challenging next chapter against Boston.