Sixers-Hawks Game 2 takeaways: Joel Embiid makes his MVP case

Sixers-Hawks Game 2 takeaways: Uh, well, Shake Milton?

Prior to Game 2, Shake Milton‘s playoff averages were nightmarishly poor: 2.8 points, 0.7 assists, 21.1 percent shooting in 8.0 minutes per game. Milton spent much of the season as Philadelphia’s de facto sixth man, but has been so bad as of late that Doc Rivers — a most ardent Shake Milton supporter — had no choice but to remove him from the rotation. Until Game 2, that is.

In the third quarter, with Atlanta making a run, Doc Rivers broke glass on Milton in a head-scratching and groan-inducing move. I said some unkind words to the television. Bemoaned Doc’s stubbornness and unreciprocated confidence in Milton. Then, the third-year guard hit two big 3s, and ended the game with 14 points on 5-for-8 shooting, making 4-of-5 from deep. He was a +15 in 14 minutes, the highest plus-minus on the team.

It’s probably smart to avoid overreactions. This game should not push Milton back ahead of Tyrese Maxey or George Hill. It may, however, warrant giving Milton another brief spurt or two — perhaps making him the “10th man” over Furkan Korkmaz, who played only six minutes on Tuesday.

This was the Milton who started games last postseason. This was the Milton who many believed could win Sixth Man of the Year. He only showed up for 14 minutes, and may not show up again, but this was the ceremonial end of a long, long shooting slump — and hopefully a sign of things to come for the SMU product.