Sixers news: Shake Milton reaches milestones in breakout vs. Clippers

Sixers guard Shake Milton achieved a number of milestones with his 39 points on the Clippers, putting him with an elite company.

Philadelphia 76ers guard Shake Milton joined some elite company after hanging 39 points on the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday afternoon.

Milton became just the third Sixers player since 2000 to score 39 points in a game, joining current Sixers big man Joel Embiid and Philly legend Allen Iverson:

Sixers players w/ 39+ points in a game since 2000
– Allen Iverson: 77 times
– Joel Embiid: 10 times
– Shake Milton: 1 time (today vs. Clippers)
– No one else pic.twitter.com/N05InsQpRW

— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) March 1, 2020

Milton also had a stretch of 13 consecutive made three-pointers dating back to Wednesday's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, tying him for the longest such streak in NBA history:

The 76ers' Shake Milton had a streak of 13 straight made three-pointers.

That ties Brent Price and Terry Mills for the longest streak within a season in NBA history. pic.twitter.com/0lFOGHOH5b

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) March 1, 2020

The 23-year-old out of Southern Methodist has had a winding road to this current juncture.

Milton was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks with the 54th overall selection in 2018, and he was subsequently traded to the Sixers on draft night. He earned a two-way contract with Philly shortly thereafter and did enough at the NBA Summer League to earn a one-way deal last July.

The former G Leaguer had already played 27 games with the Sixers this season, but head coach Brett Brown told Milton after the All-Star break he would no longer be part of the rotation in the final third of the year.

Then, the injuries hit. Ben Simmons' back injury left the Sixers without a point guard, and Milton stepped up to fill the void.

It should be noted Milton has showcased this kind of potential before. He scored 27 points in a loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Jan. 30, and had also scored at least 19 points in each of his last two games prior to Sunday.

But with Josh Richardson also leaving the game in the first 10 minutes, Milton really took over the game. He scored 26 points in the first half on 10-of-11 shooting from the field, almost single-handedly keeping the Sixers in the game.

Milton's sensational performance was not quite enough, but he has earned a stable role in the rotation and has even made some history along the way.