The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Orlando Magic, 122-97, at Wells Fargo Center on Friday night, clinching the Eastern Conference's top seed with the victory.

The 76ers (48-23) had no shortage of motivation entering Friday's contest, considering they'd missed a couple of prior opportunities to notch the top seed in the Eastern Conference. They encountered a Magic (21-50) team that seemed intent on playing spoiler early, however, with Philadelphia escaping the first 12 minutes hanging on to a narrow three-point advantage. However, the hosts sprung to action in the second quarter, adding 20 points to their lead before halftime with excellent play on both ends of the floor. That changed the dynamic of the contest for good, and the Sixers were able to essentially cruise in the second half.

Ignas Brazdeikis led the Magic with 21 points, adding six rebounds, one assist and two blocks. R.J. Hampton and Chasson Randle posted matching 12-point contributions, with Hampton adding 11 rebounds and nine assists. Cole Anthony and Mo Bamba generated matching 11-point, five-rebound tallies, with Anthony adding three assists.

Seth Curry paced the 76ers with 20 points, supplementing them with three rebounds, two assists and one steal. Shake Milton registered 15 points, three rebounds and three assists. Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons posted 13 points apiece, with Embiid also pulling down 11 rebounds and Simmons dishing out nine assists. Isaiah Joe poured in 11 points, while Furkan Korkmaz totaled 10 points, six rebounds, two assists and one steal.

The two teams reconvene at Wells Fargo Center for a season-ending rematch on Sunday.