We’re back for Day 2 of the NBA play-in tournament — and after Tuesday’s action, Wednesday will have a lot to live up to.
In the first game of the evening, the Philadelphia 76ers will host the Orlando Magic in a bid to secure the No. 7 seed in the East. Unfortunately for the Sixers, they’ll be without star Joel Embiid, who’s recovering from an appendectomy, putting the spotlight on Tyrese Maxey, who’s having a career year. Despite still being in contention for that final playoff spot, Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley is reportedly coaching for his job. The winner earns a bid to the first round of the playoffs as the No. 7 seed in the East.
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Next up, the Los Angeles Clippers will host the Golden State Warriors with a trip to face the Suns on Friday on the line. The Clippers hosted the Warriors in their season finale, defeating Golden State 115-110 despite sitting Kawhi Leonard. After missing 27 games this season with a knee injury, Steph Curry will continue on a minutes restriction in a win-or-go-home matchup, coach Steve Kerr confirmed.
How to watch Magic-76ers, Warriors-Clippers
7:30 p.m. ET — Orlando Magic vs. Philadelphia 76ers on Prime Video (winner secures No. 7 seed in East to face Boston Celtics in first round; loser faces the Hornets on Friday)
10 p.m. ET — Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Clippers on Prime Video (winner faces Suns on Friday; loser is eliminated)
Follow along with Yahoo Sports as the Magic take on the Sixers and the Warriors take on the Clippers in the NBA play-in tournament:
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Yahoo Sports Staff
Here’s a look at 10 teams with the shortest odds to win the NBA Finals, with odds courtesy of BetMGM:
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Oklahoma City Thunder +120
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Cleveland Cavaliers +1600
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Minnesota Timberwolves +8000
Among all remaining teams in the picture, the Golden State Warriors have the longest odds to win the NBA Finals at +100000.
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Morten Stig Jensen
Another season, another late-year issue for Joel Embiid.
The center was recently diagnosed with appendicitis, continuing an unfortunate trend of him running into medical issues or injuries leading into the postseason, where this time the Philadelphia 76ers play host to the Orlando Magic in the play-in tournament Wednesday night (7:30 p.m. ET, Prime).
It’s not fair to Embiid or the 76ers to list all that has gone wrong, as that will distract from the larger point, but the question must be asked:
Are the Sixers on a path to anywhere?
Read more on whether the 76ers have a legitimate avenue to a better future.
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Jason Fitz
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Yahoo Sports Staff
Our team gives their picks for Wednesday’s play-in games:
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Dan Titus: Sixers and Clippers. I have Philly over a Magic team that can’t fire Mosley fast enough. The Clippers move on as the Warriors brace for an important offseason where Kerr needs a new deal and Curry needs reinforcements.
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Dan Devine: Sixers and Clippers. I’ll take Philly, even without Embiid, because Orlando has not demonstrated that it deserves our trust, and the Clippers, because I don’t think the Warriors are going to have enough answers for Kawhi.
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Nekias Duncan: Magic and Clippers. The Magic are healthier in key places, and the Clippers have been a better team for longer stretches this year while also having home-court advantage. Magic malaise and a Curry Classic could make me look foolish, but it wouldn’t be the first time.
Read more on how our team predicts each game to play out here.
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Jack Baer
There are times when technical difficulties are acceptable. The final 30 seconds of a must-win NBA play-in game are not one of them.
The overtime period of the Charlotte Hornets’ 127-126 win to continue their season saw the Prime Video feed cut out for more than a minute, with viewers across the country seemingly missing a LaMelo Ball layup to give the Hornets a five-point lead.
The feed eventually came back in time for the Heat’s quick comeback and Ball’s game-winner, but it was still a tough moment for Amazon in its first season as a major NBA rights-holder.
In a statement Wednesday morning, Amazon said the feed disappeared because of a “hardware failure in our production truck.”
Here’s to hoping for a seamless viewing experience on Wednesday night!
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Yahoo Sports Staff
Here’s a look at all of the game odds for Wednesday’s play-in games, courtesy of BetMGM:
Magic-76ers odds
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Moneyline odds: 76ers -125, Magic +105
Warriors-Clippers odds
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Point spread: Clippers -5.5
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Moneyline odds: Clippers -220, Warriors +180
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