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Sixers bring back Hardwood Classics

For the first time in over 700 days, the Philadelphia 76ers host a playoff game tonight at Wells Fargo Center.

Not only is playoff basketball back in Philly, but the Sixers Hardwood Classic jerseys are back in the postseason.

Made famous during Allen Iverson‘s iconic Sixers tenure, the Black retro jerseys are widely regarded as one of the most stylish NBA jersey concepts.

After Tyrese Maxey (and millions of millennial Sixers fans) pined for the return of the iconic jerseys, the Sixers brought them back for the 2025-26 season.

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the 2001 Finals team, the Sixers wore the Iverson-era jerseys 20 times during the regular season.

Their matchup against the Celtics on Friday will be the first time the team has worn them in the playoffs since Iverson’s famous bout with Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Sixers Could Take Series Lead in Philly

The Sixers looked sharp on both ends of the floor in their last matchup at TD Garden and look to carry that momentum into this homestand.

Fueled by Tyrese Maxey, who finished the regular season in the top five in points, the Sixers’ offense bounced back in Game 2. After a sluggish performance in the series opener, the Sixers shot 48 percent from deep in Game 2.

“This is who we are,” Maxey said postgame. “Game 1 was not who we are.”

For Edgecombe, it was a career night for the former No. 3 pick.

Edgecombe, 20, finished the game with a game-high 30 points and 10 rebounds, the first playoff double-double of his young career.

The former Baylor standout is the first rookie with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in a playoff game since Tim Duncan did so in May 1998.

Despite taking a hard fall early in the game, Edgecombe delivered a gutsy performance to help lift the Sixers.

Impressively, Edgecombe also stood out on the defensive end. He forced several timely stops on All-Star guards Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.

At times, you could see the flashes of Dwyane Wade that teammate Paul George says he sees in Edgecombe.

Embiid Likely Won’t Suit Up During Homestand

Despite Joel Embiid undergoing an appendectomy less than a month ago, there is hope within the Sixers organization that he will return in the playoffs.

Embiid last took the floor on April 6 against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs. He logged 39 minutes and finished with a game-high 34 points and 12 rebounds.

However, Nick Nurse reported that he participated in “more than a walkthrough” this week and said that he’s “hopeful” that Embiid can return in the playoffs.

“We’re, obviously, really hopeful. And I think he’s really hopeful,” Nurse told reporters, according to Sixers Wire’s Ky Carlin. “He wants to play, and we want him to play. I don’t know how close we are to that at this point, but I think there’s some progress being made.”

Despite his optimissim, Nurse pointed out that Embiid’s progess is not always linear.

“Sometimes it’s positive, sometimes it’s not so (positive),” Nurse said of the assessments from Sixers medical staffers on Embiid. “I think there’s work being done. He’s got to do it, then do more. And get some reactions to it. I think we’ll know a lot more probably by the end of today.”