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Shake Milton, short-handed Sixers overcome Magic

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ORLANDO–The Philadelphia 76ers paid a visit to the Orlando Magic on Friday night looking to get back on track. Once again missing the likes of Joel Embiid, James Harden, Tyrese Maxey, and Matisse Thybulle, they had yet another uphill battle in order to get a win.

The Magic feature a ton of young talent with a ton of size and they gave Philadelphia fits all night long, but the Sixers kept scrapping and they found a way to win the first game of this 2-game set with the Magic 107-99. Shake Milton was terrific in all facets and had 24 points, nine rebounds, and 10 assists on the night to lead the short-handed Sixers.

Tobias Harris had 23 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists, De’Anthony Melton had 13 points and four steals, and Montrezl Harrell added 14 and eight rebounds. Georges Niang jumped off the bench and poured in 18 points.

Here are the player grades following the win:

Shake Milton: A+

This was another solid offensive night for Milton. The veteran out of SMU was able to get into the paint and be able to make a few plays at the basket and for his teammates in the pick-and-roll. Milton has good size for a guard which was welcomed in this one. He was able to use his size and strength for points and Philadelphia really needed it against this Magic team. His 3-point shooting was a big help in this one as well. He was also helpful on the glass and with his passing so he continues to make moves forward in that respect. He’s also scoring efficiently as he has made it look easy.

De’Anthony Melton: A

Once again, Melton got off to a hot start on the offensive end. He had 10 points in the opening quarter to keep Philadelphia afloat as the Magic asserted themselves a bit in the paint. With Philadelphia missing Embiid, they need somebody to provide the scoring out on the floor and keep the Sixers moving forward and that’s what Melton brings in a pinch. He was also terrific on the defensive end out on the perimeter and getting into the passing lanes.

Tobias Harris: A+

There was a constant effort by Harris to try and lead this team on the offensive end of the floor. He drilled his first jumper and then he had an aggressive drive to the basket. After that, it was a regular Harris game as he did a really solid job of getting to his spots and then getting into a rhythm from there. The decisiveness from Harris was apparent in this one as well and that’s always a big thing to watch with him on a nightly basis. He was efficient with his game and he was also big on the glass and with his passing. He did a little bit of everything out there.

PJ Tucker: B-

Tucker was put in a tough position in this one as he had to battle with Orlando’s size in the paint. Standing at just 6-foot-5, it’s incredibly tough to battle legitimate 7-footers in the paint like Bol Bol and Mo Bamba, and there was only so much Tucker could really do. With that being said, he did have some nice moments defensively so there’s that. He also just has an elite feeling for the game that the Sixers have missed. His work in the dunker spot, even though he wasn’t able to score, was so helpful in this one. It busted up Orlando’s zone.

Montrezl Harrell: A

Like Tucker, there wasn’t much Harrell could do. He stands at 6-foot-7 and despite giving an honest effort, he was no real challenge for the Magic bigs. This one was just really tough for Philadelphia in the paint all game long. On the positive side of things, he did a really solid job of running things on offense. He was directing guys where to go from the big man spot and that’s something Philadelphia can lean on for the time being. He was terrific as a role player in this one and that was a big factor in this one.

George Niang: A+

While also struggling on the defensive end, Niang did provide some offense with his 3-point shooting. Again, as was the theme in this one, he just didn’t have the size to really match up with guys like Bol, Bamba, and Paolo Banchero down low. What he did bring, though, was offense, a lot of it, and that was something that the Sixers leaned on in this contest.

Furkan Korkmaz: B+

The veteran out of Turkey did not have a great night defensively. There was a play where RJ Hampton blew right by him and got to the rim for a layup, but he also knocked down a triple in his initial stint so he was just doing what he does out on the floor. He made a few circus shots in the second half that helped the Sixers in a big way.

Paul Reed: B+

There were a few nice moments for Reed. He had a tough basket in the paint while finishing up and over a taller defender, but it was on the defensive end where he had his issues, but to his credit, he was much better on defense after halftime as was a lot of the Sixers. . Where Reed succeeded was on the offensive glass as he brought his relentless energy in that department and provided a huge spark out there on the floor.

Daniel House Jr.: B+

His initial stint did not offer much as House Jr. missed the two shots he took, but he did have a nice pass to Milton in the paint, but he missed the layup. He was much better in the second half, providing energy and being a pest on the defensive end.

Story originally appeared on Sixers Wire