76ers Encouraged by Shake Milton's Ability to Bounce Back

When it comes to professional athletes in Philadelphia, there isn't much wiggle room from the fan bases. Philadelphia 76ers second-year guard Shake Milton was the latest to find that out on Saturday night as he struggled in his first game back from the NBA's hiatus.

Before the league went on suspension, Milton was on an unexpected tear. Although the Sixers were struggling as a team, the second-year guard's emergence was a pleasant surprise for many. Consistency is vital, however. And being in pro sports is a "what have you done for me lately" type of job.

So when Shake Milton struggled in his first game back against the Pacers last Saturday, fans overreacted as expected. Monday was almost a test for Milton to see if he would sink or swim while facing a wave of scrutiny. As expected, Milton once again started at point guard for the Sixers against the San Antonio Spurs.

And unlike the previous matchup, Milton got involved offensively early. And by the time the matchup was in its final minute, Milton knocked down his 16th point with the game-winning three-point shot with under ten seconds left to go.

In a matter of seconds, Milton went from zero to hero -- proving to the Sixers that he can not not only handle the pressure -- but he can also bounce back when things get tough for him. "You know, [with] Shake, it's quite clear he's an articulate and intelligent young man," said Sixers head coach Brett Brown on Monday night.

"The poise and grace that he goes about his business with was reflected at that moment [when he took that shot]," the Sixers coach continued. "He just was very calm and took a lot of belief in himself and ended up with maybe one of the biggest shots of his career."

In addition to Brett Brown's comments, some of Milton's fellow teammates had a lot of positive things to say about the second-year guard as well. "He's doing a great job so far being put in the role that he's in," veteran guard Josh Richardson stated. "It's his first year ever really getting minutes. To bounce back from how he played the last game, he came out aggressive and was getting us through the offense. That shot at the end of the game was huge. You know, I commend him for it."

Sixers forward Tobias Harris mentioned after Saturday's loss to the Pacers that he was going to make sure Milton keeps his confidence high. Following Monday's bounce-back performance, Harris was excited to see his young teammate truly bounce back after struggling for the first time in his young career.

"I'm happy for him," Harris claimed. "Just because obviously this is like his first go-round of doing it on this stage. He's a great young player who works really hard. This is all about confidence and keeping yourself upright and knowing who you are. [On Monday], he was really able to establish that and make big shots for us, so that was key."

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_