Shake Milton Sums Up Standout Performance vs. Magic

Lately, the Philadelphia 76ers have asked a lot of Shake Milton. As Tyrese Maxey and James Harden are both out with lower-body injuries, which require a month-long recovery at least, Milton has been getting settled into a starting role for the time being.

Starting is nothing new for Milton. Back in 2019-2020, the young guard earned himself a steady role in the starting five down during the second half of the season as he thrived in the absence of his All-Star teammate Ben Simmons, who was dealing with an injury at the time.

For the following two years, Milton was viewed as a key player off the Sixers’ bench. Unfortunately, injuries took the guard off the court in both seasons, making it difficult for Milton to hit his stride consistently.

This year, Milton’s been healthy and thriving once again. While he started the year off outside of the Sixers’ rotation, injuries on the squad offered him an opportunity to prove he belongs on the court no matter who’s healthy.

Going into Friday night’s game against the Orlando Magic, Milton averaged 36 minutes on the floor in the previous four games. The young guard put up 20 points per game while draining 44 percent of his threes during that time.

On Friday against the Magic, Milton kept the momentum going. After the game, the young veteran summed up his performance as simply doing his job and not trying to do too much despite garnering a more significant role as of late.

“I think it was just coming out and not trying to do too much,” said Milton. “Just trying to make plays to help the team win. Since everybody has been down, all the talk has just been about sticking together, playing together, playing fast, and playing with pace. I think tonight was just a perfect combination of everything for us.”

In 41 minutes of action on Saturday, Milton knocked down seven of his 13 shots from the field. Four of his makes came from beyond the arc. From the charity stripe, Milton was a perfect 6-6. He finished the night with a 24-point double-double, as he produced a career-high of ten assists.

The pressure was applied to Milton to step up in the absence of two All-Star guards, but the former SMU star didn’t let the moment get too big for him. In five matchups where he played over 30 minutes, Milton has drained 56 percent of his shots and knocked down 48 percent of his threes on nearly five attempts per game. During the stretch, Milton is putting up 21 points per game while creating six assists and collecting six rebounds.

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