The Philadelphia 76ers (21-9) stayed in Florida after their Christmas game and squared off with the Orlando Magic (18-12). The Sixers got their first win of the season without Joel Embiid, winning 112-92.

Let's break down the Sixers' win.

Sixers player notes:

Tyrese Maxey: 23 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 9-18 FG shooting

Maxey once again had to face a top-notch team without Embiid. After his awful shooting display against the Miami Heat, he faced one of the very toughest defenses in the NBA. This was a tough test — and he aced it.

The Sixers star had a much more impactful game this time, making all of his first four shot attempts and not letting the physical Orlando defense deter him. His Frost Miser-esque shooting from the previous game transformed into a level of shooting the Heat Miser would appreciate. Simply put, Maxey was too much for the Magic defense.

Tobias Harris: 22 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 10-23 FG shooting

Harris didn’t shoot the ball all that well but was the major source of secondary scoring in this game, continuing a trend of aggression on offense. The Sixers needed buckets aside from Maxey and Harris delivered, as did De'Anthony Melton, who scored 22 points himself and looked as good as ever scoring at the rim.

Magic player notes:

Paolo Banchero: 19 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 6-21 FG shooting

Banchero did a good amount of initiating and shooting for the Magic but took a back seat to Orlando's other star forward. He lacked shooting efficiency at the rim and from deep — not a recipe for success. It wasn’t offset by his rebounding total, either.

Franz Wagner: 24 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 8-16 FG shooting

Crisp footwork on drives and shooting moves allowed Wagner to generate open looks and play at his own speed. The way he slipped layups past the defense led to a very strong shooting night. Especially with the lack of space the Magic have due to their lack of shooting, it was impressive how well Wagner navigated the defense.

Game recap:

1st half

Embiid remained out for the Sixers with uncertainty that he will make an appearance on the rest of this road trip. Philly was also without Nico Batum again while Orlando was without a few key depth pieces in Jonathan Isaac, Joe Ingles and Gary Harris. The Magic were also playing on the second night of a back-to-back after playing in Washington D.C. yesterday.

Orlando native Paul Reed got the start again in place of Embiid while Kelly Oubre Jr. subbed in for Batum again. Jalen Suggs, who has grown into a stellar defender, took on the Maxey assignment. Oubre guarded Franz Wagner while Tobias Harris took Banchero.

Suggs showed his defensive intensity early, as well as his off-ball IQ by scoring four times off of timely, sharp slot cuts. Maxey made his first shot — a pull-up middie — but also picked up two fouls in the first five minutes, sending Patrick Beverley into the game. Reed showed off for his hometown by draining a corner three…and then committed a shooting foul.

Later in the first quarter, Mo Bamba took the floor against the Magic for the first time in his career, facing a team he called his “family” that he grew up with to start his NBA career. He forced a turnover from Wagner and recorded a steal and a block early in his stint. The Sixers' offense settled for mid-range shots, floaters and contested threes often before Patrick Beverley got going, piercing the defense and scoring on his own shots in the paint.

The Magic put Chuma Okeke on Maxey to start the second quarter, using a hedge-and-recover scheme on ball screens to prevent drives. The Sixers stopped screening to let Maxey go one-on-one, which opened up space for him and others to take advantage of how he collapsed the defense. They also ran high-screening actions with Marcus Morris Sr., a capable shooter off the bounce who was comfortable getting into the paint to pull up. The offense slowed down when he looked for his shot but he at least shot it well.

While neither of the Magic's stars really got going, they still kept it close. After getting no playing time on Christmas, Robert Covington made his way into the game. Maxey's incredible scoring proved to be the difference in the first half.

After a brief crash in the NBC Sports Philadelphia broadcast, the Sixers went into the half leading 52-46 after an 8-0 run.

2nd half

The Sixers brought more energy to the third quarter than the Magic did, ripping off a 9-0 run in under a minute to increase the lead. Oubre generated two takeaways and splashed a corner three in the run, which forced an Orlando timeout. They hustled for loose balls and rotated quickly on defense. Oubre made another great play by skying for a block from being on Banchero.

The Magic, fueled by some crazy hustle plays and tough defense from Suggs, got back into it. Orlando's immense lack of shooting caused the ball movement to freeze once it went to a major non-shooter like rookie Anthony Black. Try as he did to do something with the space he had, it wasn’t conducive to an effort that could keep up with the Sixers, who kept turning defense into offense. On top of their work on the offensive glass, Philly did very well in the possessions battle.

In the halfcourt, Morris and Beverley came through with some key buckets, as did Maxey with a step-back triple from the logo. Wagner slithered his way to the cup for some impressive layups as the Magic trailed by nine heading into the fourth quarter.

Behind some crucial scoring from Banchero, including his first three-pointer of the night, the Magic again made a run. He challenged Reed at the rim a few times and did get to the foul line multiple times but also got stuffed. In what felt like the ultimate game of runs, the Sixers pushed the lead back up.

The physicality of the game picked up down the stretch. Scrums for loose balls and tough defense led to a low-scoring final frame. Buckets were tougher to come by, a style of play that this big, young Magic team has embraced. The Sixers, enjoyers of dawg mentality themselves, got what they needed to win. A tough triple from Maxey, two triples from De'Anthony Melton and a fast-break layup from Reed iced the game.

Random rumblings:

  • This alternate Magic court/uniform combo may be a bit devoid of color but I like it.

The Sixers will face the Houston Rockets on Friday.