Shake Milton Has Career Night vs. Orlando Magic

Shake Milton has another stellar performance on the road on Friday night.

With the starting backcourt duo of Tyrese Maxey and James Harden recovering from injuries, the Philadelphia 76ers have leaned on their backups, Shake Milton and De’Anthony Melton, to step up and control the offense for the time being.

Without the star trio of Maxey, Harden, and the center Joel Embiid, Sixers guard De’Anthony Melton has averaged 35 minutes on the floor in his last four starts leading up to Friday night’s game against the Orlando Magic. Prior to that stretch, Melton averaged 24 minutes on the floor.

As for Milton, he started off the 2022-2023 season on the outside of Philadelphia’s primary rotation. Before last Friday’s game against Milwaukee, Milton averaged just 12 minutes on the floor and registered four DNPs. 

Since then, Milton’s averaged over 35 minutes on the floor, picking up starts against Minnesota, Brooklyn, and Charlotte. On Friday in Orlando, the situation was no different. As Maxey and Harden remain off the floor, Milton and Melton started in the backcourt.

Once again, the backcourt duo shined, with Milton leading the way and achieving a notable feat for the first time in his career.

Picking up a near 42-minute shift against the Magic on Friday, Milton chucked up 13 shots from the field. Seven of his attempts came from beyond the arc. Milton shot efficiently as he knocked down 54 percent of his shots and drained 57 percent of his threes.

The young veteran totaled for 24 points. It marked the tenth time Milton scored at least 24 points in his five-year career. 

But scoring wasn’t Milton’s only impressive accomplishment from Friday’s game. In addition to his 20-plus point outing, Milton dished out ten assists, which marked a new career-high. The veteran guard tied his previous career-high of nine assists just two nights prior when the Sixers lost to the Charlotte Hornets on the road.

With a 24-point, ten-assist outing in Orlando, Milton snagged a double-double for the first time in his career. It was a rewarding stat line for the young guard, who is making a case to keep significant playing time when the Sixers get healthier down the line.

For the time being, Maxey and Harden remain out. As they both suffered notable lower-body injuries, it’ll take some time before they make their return. Therefore, Milton will continue to find opportunities to find success in the absence of the two stars. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.