Supporting cast steps up as Sixers beat Magic

The Sixers would have a big hole to fill in Friday's game against the Magic, playing without Ben Simmons due to a knee injury. Behind some strong play from the supporting cast along with the continued dominance of Joel Embiid, the Sixers would go on to beat Orlando by a final score of 108-101.

Al Horford stepped back into the starting lineup in the absence of Simmons and would have a strong performance. He finished the game with 21 points and nine rebounds, and played well on the defensive end of the ball. Horford continues to look like a refreshed version of himself in the bubble.

With no Ben Simmons in the lineup, Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris would be looked upon to carry the load on both sides of the ball, and they would do just that. Embiid continues to look untouchable on the floor finishing with 23 points and 13 rebounds. Harris would also finish with a double-double, scoring 23 points and grabbing 15 rebounds.

Alec Burks was the biggest story of this game. Just a few days ago he was struggling to find time on the court, and now it looks like he has won the team's backup point guard spot. Burks exploded off the bench and finished the game as the Sixers' second-leading scorer with 22 points, knocking down three of the Sixers' eight made threes in the game.

Shake Milton stepped up as the main facilitator on offense. Although he racked up just six points in the game he managed to dish eight assists to just one turnover. Matisse Thybulle looked like his old self on the defensive end as well. He finished with two steals and two blocks while providing strong defense on the perimeter.

Halfway through their seeding games the Sixers find themselves with a record of 3-1. They will face arguably their biggest challenge yet on Sunday in Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers.

Kevin McCormick is the 76ers insider for 97.3 ESPN and 76ers editor for Sportstalkphilly.com. Follow him on Twitter @KevinMcC973.