Timberwolves' D'Angelo Russell Applauds 76ers' Temporary Starters

The Philadelphia 76ers’ backcourt has faced some highly unfortunate circumstances as of late. Earlier this month, the team’s starting point guard James Harden suffered a foot injury that was diagnosed as a tendon strain. After getting placed in a walking boot, Harden was ruled out for at least a month.

Fast forward a little over two weeks later, and the other starting guard Tyrese Maxey lands in a similar situation. After suffering a small fracture in his foot during Friday night’s matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks, Maxey was placed in a walking boot and could be out for a month, depending on how his recovery goes.

Without Harden and Maxey available, the Sixers had no choice but to start Shake Milton and De’Anthony Melton. Considering their first start alongside each other came against a solid backcourt tandem in D’Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards, the two veteran guards had their hands full in their first matchup as a duo of their own.

The Sixers liked what they saw out of the Milton-Melton duo on Saturday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves. While 76ers head coach Doc Rivers stressed it’s still a work in progress, he was ultimately satisfied with the performance as it was a good stepping stone moving forward.

Meanwhile, the opponent issued credit where it was due as well. Timberwolves guard D’Angelo Russell anticipated a strong effort from Philadelphia’s backups in the starting lineup, as the NBA is typically a next-man-up league.

“They were good,” Russell said after the matchup on Saturday night. “They came in and took advantage of what was going on. A lot of guys are in and out and not available tonight, so I think they did a hell of a job. It’s what NBA is about, though. Next guy, rotation, next guy step up, confidence, and things like that. Doc’s a coach and plays off that. So, it’s good for them.”

Milton checked in for 38 minutes on Saturday. He had his best performance of the year as he went 10-15 from the field, draining a few threes. He ended up with 27 points, six rebounds, and two assists.

On the other hand, Melton checked in for 36 minutes, drilling five threes and collecting 19 points while producing six assists on offense. Defensively, Melton was dominant as he snatched five steals and blocked a shot.

The Sixers couldn’t pull off the upset comeback win on Saturday as they fell short to the Timberwolves 112-109. Moral victories typically aren’t accepted for the 76ers, but Saturday’s sample of how solid they can be when they click consistently definitely offered some hope for the upcoming stretch without key players — especially for the backcourt.

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