ORLANDO — The 76ers headed back to Philadelphia on a high note Sunday night.
They completed a two-game sweep of the Orlando Magic with a 133-103 victory at the Amway Center.
Sweeping the struggling Magic (5-15) might not seem like a big deal to most. But two straight wins against an opponent was a first for the Sixers this season. It also propelled them to two games over .500 for the first time.
Prior to this series, the Sixers (11-9) had split consecutive-game sequences against the Toronto Raptors, Washington Wizards, and Atlanta Hawks.
But the Sixers left little doubt Sunday, shooting 64.9 % and leading by as many as 33 points. They had a season-high 32 assists on 50 made baskets. Their 133 points were also a season high.
Shake and Bake
It’s hard to tell that Shake Milton wasn’t in the Sixers’ starting rotation at the beginning of the season.
The point guard had another stellar performance on Sunday, scoring a season-high 29 points on 10-for-13 shooting. Milton also had a game-high seven assists to go with four rebounds and a steal.
He exited the game to applause from his teammates on the bench with 3 minutes, 49 seconds left. Milton scored in a variety of ways: three-pointers, jumpers, and on strong drives to the basket.
Tobias Harris was also hot.
The forward finished with 25 points, scoring 18 in the first half. Meanwhile, reserve center Paul Reed had a season-high 13 rebounds to go with 12 points in his home town.
Points in the paint
The Sixers attacked the basket, routinely scoring on layups and dunks against the taller Magic players. They held a 72-44 advantage in points in the paint, scoring 38 of them in the first half.
That enabled them to take a commanding 67-45 halftime lead while shooting 65.9% from the field. The Sixers broke the game open with a 35-9 run that put them up, 58-39, with 3:51 left in the half.
Eight of the nine Sixers who saw action in the first half scored. Harris did the most damage on 7-for-10 shooting, including making both of his three-pointers.
A little scare
Danuel House Jr. had a little scare on a breakaway dunk in in the first quarter.
The swingman was bumped by Paolo Banchero while in the air. House, who got his forearm in the rim, came crashing down to the floor after the powerful dunk with 1:27 left in the first quarter. He grimaced in pain, lying on the floor momentarily before hitting the foul shot.
Playing through pain
P.J. Tucker was back in the starting lineup after sitting out the fourth quarter of Friday’s game with left ankle soreness.
The forward finished with one rebound and one assist and was a plus-13 while playing 15:48 in the first half. However, Tucker, who noticeably battled through pain, sat out the second half with the ankle soreness.
They were several times when he sprinted gingerly on defense and grimaced during fast breaks on offense. House replaced him in the starting lineup in the second half. Tucker spent the first part of the second half seated on the bench with the shoelaces of his left sneaker untied. He then limped around during a timeout with 8:01 left in the third quarter. Tucker left the bench and went to the locker room shortly afterward.
Banged-up Magic
This marked the fourth straight game that the Sixers were without all three of their leading scorers in Joel Embiid, James Harden, and Tyrese Maxey.
Embiid missed those four games with a left mid-foot sprain and is listed as day-to-day. Harden has missed 11 games with a right foot tendon strain. He could return at some point this week. And Maxey has been sidelined with a left foot fracture for five games. He’s expected to return next month.
But don’t expect the Magic to feel sorry for the Sixers. They’re dealing with their share of injuries, too.
Former Sixers Markelle Fultz (left big toe fracture), Cole Anthony (right internal oblique tear), Wendell Carter Jr. (right foot plantar fascia strain), Jonathan Isaac (left knee injury recovery), Chuma Okeke (left knee soreness), and Jalen Suggs (right ankle soreness) were all sidelined with injuries.
Then Mo Bamba (back spasms) and Terrence Ross (illness) didn’t play after intermission.
But dealing with injuries to key players has been a multi-year thing for the young Magic.
Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley and his staff are doing their best to keep his players upbeat amid the injuries.
“Every morning we wake up as a staff and we get together as a staff and help understand that this is not about us,” Mosley said. “It’s about them. The more that we pour into them, the better we will be.
“We help them understand that adversity, injuries and wins and losses are all part of the NBA season.”
Helping them understand that reality allows the Magic to know it’s a privilege to play in the league.
“And those guys that are on the court,” he said, “they have to register that.”
Fultz had been listed as questionable earlier in the day. Sunday would have marked his season debut. However, Mosley said the Sixers’ 2017 first overall pick won’t play Monday night against the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center.
“We’re just going to give it a couple more days just to see where he’s [at] as he gets going,” Mosley said.
