Wins will be hard to come by as the Sixers continue their four-game road trip in California.
After losing to the Clippers 136-130 on Sunday, the Sixers upcoming game against the Lakers won’t include Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and Josh Richardson.
It’s highly unlikely Embiid will be ready to face the Kings or Warriors, while Simmons has already been ruled out for those contests.
If you’re planning on staying up late to watch them continue through the road trip, find alternative reasons than hoping they win to do so.
Perhaps a reason to stay up can be explained in two words, Shake Milton.
The Shake Milton Game
The Sixers may have lost to the Clippers, but that game will be forever known as the Shake Milton game.
I’m not sure many predicted a 39-point performance for the second-year guard out of SMU but he’s making the most of his new-found opportunities.
Most of his points came via seven three pointers, but he did much more than hit open shots.
Milton wasn’t afraid to attack anyone on the Clippers, including Patrick Beverley and Kawhi Leonard.
After putting Beverley on a poster about half-way through the first quarter, Milton seemed to get more comfortable and confident as the game progressed.
When open, he wasn’t afraid to shoot which forced defenders to respect his scoring abilities. He even blew by Leonard late in the first half and used his left hand to get a bucket.
Milton isn’t wasting his opportunity to make a name for himself in the NBA.
“It kind of just happened randomly. I was ready, as soon as there was the opportunity,” Milton told the assembled media after the game. “Once the first couple ones knocked down, especially the first three, I felt pretty good.”
He’s already put himself in NBA history tying Brent Price and Terry Mills with 13 consecutive threes.
A reason to keep watching
The Sixers aren’t as much fun to watch without Simmons and Embiid. (Don’t forget about the 10-win season just four years ago.)
But performances like Milton’s 39-point game Sunday are a reason to watch until the team can hopefully get healthy before the start of the playoffs.
Who knows if he can build off that performance but maybe the Sixers stumbled into a productive player.
In case you haven’t heard they need guards who can space the court and dribble the ball.
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