THE SCORE OF THE BOX
Shake Milton tied an NBA record for three straight games Sunday afternoon in Los Angeles, hitting 13 in a row in the last three games. It was, without a doubt, the most extraordinary part of the Sixers’ game against the Clippers.
The fact that the Sixers lost to the Clippers, 136-130, without Ben Simmons (nervous breakdown in the lower back) and Joel Embiid (sprained left shoulder) was much less surprising.
The defeat was the Sixth in a row for the Sixers on the road and dropped the team to 37-24. Then the Lakers Tuesday night.
Here are observations about the loss:
The Shake Milton Show
The Sixers could not have started better offensively, hitting 11 of their first 14 shots and taking a 25-11 lead. They hit 7 of 11 three in the first quarter and had six assists and no rolls.
Josh Richardson picked up where he left off in the second half Thursday, knocking down his first three mid-range jumpers and, at the end of the period, a right winger three. Tobias Harris was also sharp and scored 13 points in the first of 5 of 8 shots.
Milton stood out, showing a versatile and confident game. He hit a smooth crossover pull-up, accelerated in a left-handed layup and sank a short fallaway jumper on Ivica Zubac. Then, just to hammer home the fact that he’s indeed a legitimate NBA caliber player, the 2018 second-round pick unearthed a theft and hit him on Patrick Beverley with his left hand.
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After a time out of Clippers, he converted a three. He was not finished, sinking three more in the second period and finishing the first half with 26 points out of 10 of the 11 shots. His three-point streak finally ended with a lack in the third quarter in the left corner.
Although he couldn’t quite maintain the absurd heights of the first half, Milton finished with a career high of 39.
We knew Milton was a good outside shooter, a balanced player under all circumstances and a G League star, but the brilliance, determination and daring on display on Sunday were all very impressive.
“When there is a void, as is currently the case with Ben, something will happen,” said Brett Brown last Tuesday. “Someone is going to step up.”
Milton certainly did.
Yet another injury
Richardson collided with Alec Burks and remained on the ground with 11:17 left in the second quarter. It appeared that, as Burks leaned back after an attempt at driving overlay, the back of his head struck Richardson’s face. On his way to the locker room, Richardson had a towel pressed against his nose.
He was excluded from the match at the end of the second quarter with a bruise on his nose. Richardson was also later diagnosed with concussion.
The injury has left the Sixers with only two of their original starters this season at Harris and Al Horford.
Burden for Harris and Horford
Harris, apart from his hot start, was not great (25 points on 11 of 21 shots, four rebounds, four assists). Horford (12 points on 4 of 11 shots, eight rebounds, six assists) was not either.
This does not mean that these two were terrible. Harris was a big reason why the Sixers took the lead early and came out with an aggressive mindset. Horford, who fouled 4:25 to play, did not give the Sixers enough as a rim protector or scorer, although he had his second consecutive good game as a passer. Perhaps this remains his best skill.
It’s just that, given the current injury situation, the Sixers would have needed Harris and Horford to be huge – a normal night. Given Milton’s star turn, it probably would have been enough if one of them had a huge game. Neither.
Rotational juggling
Brown first played Kyle O’Quinn at the backup center against Norvel Pelle for the second straight game. Horford having trouble with fouling in the first half, the team preferred to use Mike Scott as the center of the ball, rather than extending O’Quinn’s minutes.
Scott held up in this role, conceding defensive terrain against Montrezl Harrell, but also scoring 11 points and grabbing six rebounds. Pelle and Scott shared the save five minutes in the second half.
Glenn Robinson III started the game, but Brown used Scott to start the third quarter. Matisse Thybulle also opened the third, replacing Richardson.
Robinson did not have much impact. His three-point shot, the skill that most attracted the Sixers, has yet to be translated to Philadelphia – he now has 0 for 10 in 3 since the trade. With Golden State, Robinson was a 40% three-point shooter.
Defensive vulnerabilities
Missing three of their best defensive players from Embiid, Simmons and Richardson (for most of the match), the Sixers struggled to stop the Clippers, who shot 59.2% and got 20 or more points from Lou Williams , Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Harrell.
There was no stress issue – as there have been for many other road games this season – just a lack of healthy bodies.
Every button Brown had pressed in the first half seemed to work, but the Clippers were, on paper, the top team. They showed it in the third, outscoring the Sixers by 14 and dampening the hope that a shorthanded team led by Shake-Milton could start their four-game west coast trip with an unlikely victory.
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