76ers vs. Bucks: Joel Embiid, Doc Rivers Issue Props to Backcourt
The Milwaukee Bucks and the Philadelphia 76ers had their fair share of injuries going into their Friday night battle. Unfortunately for the Sixers, they suffered another during the matchup.
With James Harden and Furkan Korkmaz already out from the team’s backcourt, the Sixers lost Tyrese Maxey in the second quarter of Friday night’s game.
As Maxey went down with a foot injury, the young guard had to leave the court before the first half concluded. He wrapped up a 20-minute shift with 24 points, five assists, and four rebounds. As expected, Maxey was ruled out for the rest of the game, leaving the keys to the backcourt in Shake Milton and De’Anthony Melton’s hands.
With Maxey healthy, the Sixers started Melton and had Milton come off the bench. In the second half, Milton got the expected bump to the starting lineup when the third quarter began.
Without a ten-time All-Star like James Harden and a potential future All-Star like Tyrese Maxey on the floor, one would expect the Sixers to take a significant hit on offense. However, the Melton-Milton combination held its own.
“I thought (Shake Milton), De’Anthony, and (Danuel House Jr.) did a terrific job,” said Sixers head coach Doc Rivers. “We really were trying to run anything without Jrue Holiday involved down the stretch. We were just trying to get him away from the ball. D-Melt and Shake kind of figured it out. Wherever he was, the other guy handled it, and we attacked.”
Both Milton and Melton clocked in for over 30 minutes of playing time on Friday. That’s quite the jump for both guards, considering Melton averages 25 minutes while Milton appears on the court for an average of 14 minutes per night.
They might not get the same playing time as the injured guards who are currently out, but the duo made the most of their opportunity on Friday and earned praise from Philly’s superstar center, Joel Embiid.
“He's so good playing out of the pick and roll, and tonight showed it,” Embiid said regarding Shake Milton. “Just controlling every single play and just making passes up top.”
“Obviously, De'Anthony, I've been a big fan since his Memphis days,” the big man continued. “When we got him, I actually asked him, ‘What was your best game?’ He didn't even know, and I knew it better than him, and it was actually against Milwaukee. That's how much basketball I watch. I'm always watching basketball, and I happened to watch that game against Milwaukee. He was just killing it, and he was a boss in that game. That's what we're going to need from him — big shots. I think when we started, it was the bad pass by me, the ball slipped, but he was still able to go for the ball and make the shot. Those are guys that we're going to need, and they're going to show."
Melton finished Friday night’s game with ten points in 36 minutes. He shot 3-8 from the field, knocking down two threes. In addition to scoring, Melton collected seven rebounds and produced eight assists.
Meanwhile, Milton had 15 points in 31 minutes. The young veteran knocked down 50 percent of his shots and racked up six assists.
With the combination of Harden and Maxey beyond the second half on Friday night, the Sixers climbed out of their deficit against the Bucks and snagged a lead before the fourth quarter. They closed the game out with a victory by defeating the Bucks 110-102. With that win, the Sixers advance to 8-7 on the year.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.
