Philadelphia @ Orlando preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 13, 2019 ) Philadelphia 126, Orlando 94

The Philadelphia 76ers look to record their third consecutive victory when they visit the Orlando Magic on Wednesday. Philadelphia nearly succumbed on Tuesday before center Joel Embiid delivered the go-ahead dunk with 13.2 seconds left in a 98-97 home victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Embiid scored 27 points and shooting guard Josh Richardson added 17 and the 76ers held Cleveland scoreless for the final 3:34 to notch the victory. "You can never take wins for granted in the NBA. It's one of the hardest things to do," Richardson said in a postgame television interview. "Going down the stretch we knew we had to start sitting down on defense." Struggling Orlando has dropped five of its last six games, including losing a 109-102 decision to the visiting Indiana Pacers on Sunday. "What we have to understand is that if we're going to be a good team - which we should be - we're going to have to be able to defend at an elite level," Magic coach Steve Clifford told reporters. "... We've got to have the mindset of, 'No matter what, we've got to defend,' whether we're scoring or not."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBCS Philadelphia, FS Florida (Orlando)

ABOUT THE 76ERS (7-3): Point guard Ben Simmons (shoulder) returned from a two-game absence and recorded 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting while adding six assists in 35 minutes against the Cavaliers. Veteran power forward Al Horford was held out for rest on the front end of the back-to-back despite his intense lobbying to play against Cleveland. "Being mindful of my body, that was one of the things that was brought up," Horford told reporters. "I feel fine. I do understand that it has to be done."

ABOUT THE MAGIC (3-7): Point guard Markelle Fultz is averaging 9.7 points along with 3.1 assists and is showing signs of development after a rough start to his career with the 76ers. The No. 1 overall selection of the 2017 NBA Draft played in just 33 games in two seasons for Philadelphia due to shoulder issues and other setbacks and was being labeled a bust before being traded to Orlando prior to last season's trading deadline. "Any time that I feel down or I get a little bit frustrated with myself, I look at where I came from, how far I've come and where I'm at today," Fultz told reporters. "I don't look where I want to be or where I think I should be. I look at where I started, before my injury, or even before that, and I just laugh and smile and say, 'I'm truly blessed. I can't really complain.'"

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Magic have won 21 of their past 28 regular-season home meetings with the 76ers.

2. Philadelphia F Tobias Harris missed all 11 of his 3-point attempts against Cleveland and is 4-of-35 over the past eight games.

3. Orlando SG Evan Fournier scored 22 points against the Pacers and is averaging 20.5 points, six assists and five assists over the last two outings.

PREDICTION: 76ers 105, Magic 102