Meet the Opponent: Sixers Without George, Embiid in First of Two with Magic

The Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers square off twice this week starting Wednesday night. The 5-14 Sixers will be missing All-Stars Joel Embiid and Paul George while the 15-8 Magic are still without leading scorer Paolo Banchero.

Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) shoots the ball against the Orlando Magic in the second quarter at Kia Center. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers meet twice in three days at the tail end of the Magic's five-game Northeast road trip. Tipoff is 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, 7 p.m. on Friday.

Orlando, 15-8, had won 12 of 13 games and six consecutively, before losing heavily to the New York Knicks on Tuesday. The Magic trailed by 30-plus points for much of the second half before saving face and their NBA Cup life. By reducing their final margin of defeat to 15, the Magic preserved a four-game point differential that qualified them for the quarterfinal round of the in-season tournament.

Philadelphia, 5-14, has won two consecutive games for the first time this season. The much-lauded (and much injured) trio of Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey has played one game together. Embiid and George are unavailable for Wednesday's game.

About the Sixers

Leading Scorers

• Tyrese Maxey: 25.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 41.1 FG%, 32.3 3PT%
• Joel Embiid: 19.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 37.9 FG%, 16.7 3PT%
• Jared McCain: 16.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 45.9 FG%, 37.7 3PT%
• Paul George: 15.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 40.7 FG%, 33.8 3PT%
• Kelly Oubre Jr.: 12.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 43.8 FG%, 28.6 3PT%

Notable Numbers

• 26th in net rating (28th offense, 15th defense)
• 27th in eFG% (50.4), 23rd in opp. eFG% (55.5)
• 5th in FTA rate (.273), 26th in opp. FTA rate (.281)
• 2nd in opp. TOV% (17.8)
• 29th pace (97.37 possessions/game)
• 29th REB% (47.0)

In the East, the Sixers rank above only the lowly Wizards, who haven't won a game since October. Philly is 26th in point differential, losing by an average of 6.3 points a night.

All-Stars Maxey, Embiid and George have missed 26 combined games — 28 games after Embiid and George sit out Wednesday night. Maxey is doing his best to maintain a scoring bump and Jared McCain is the frontrunner for the Rookie of the Year award after the first six weeks of the season, but truthfully, Philadelphia hasn't had enough firepower on most given nights.

They possess one of the league's worst offenses, heavily weighing down a defense that has improved to a league median rating since the last time these two teams met. In mid-November, with George and Embiid playing but Maxey out, the Sixers mustered only 86 points.

Three-quarters of the season remain for the Sixers to play up to expectations, but while one or more of their fragile All-Stars is regularly unavailable, Philly's hole is getting deeper.

Related Stories on the Orlando Magic

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• MAGIC-76ERS INJURY REPORT: Who's in, who's out for Orlando and Philadelphia Wednesday night? CLICK HERE
• MAGIC'S KNOCKOUT ROUND SCHEDULE: The NBA announced the schedule possibilities for the Orlando Magic in the knockout rounds of the NBA Cup. CLICK HERE
• MAGIC-KNICKS RECAP: Things got out of hand quickly for Orlando Tuesday night vs. the Knicks, but the Magic still advanced to the knockout round of the NBA Cup CLICK HERE
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• 3 THINGS MAGIC ARE THANKFUL FOR: Wrecking-ball defense, another star and being unbeatable at home – there's plenty to be thankful for with the Magic this year. CLICK HERE
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• FRANZ HAS 'GOTTA BE' AN ALL-STAR, SHAMS SAYS: Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner has been turning heads and forcing people to take notice of his recent performances. Now, ESPN's Shams Charania says he should be an All-Star lock. CLICK HERE
• MAGIC'S 2024-25 SCHEDULE: See the complete slate for the Orlando Magic in 2024-25 and all the details – dates, locations, TV, tip times, and more – that you need to know. CLICK HERE

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