Joel Embiid leads, Shake Milton closes in 76ers' decisive Game 2 win
Franchise players are expected to carry the brunt of the workload in the playoffs.
And through two games of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has done just that, scoring 39 points and 40 points respectively against the Atlanta Hawks.
But a star player can only go as far as their supporting cast can help take them, and in Game 2 against the Hawks, Embiid got a lot of help from sources both expected and not so much.
Through three quarters, the Sixers found themselves in a dogfight with the Hawks, with Embiid and Tobias Harris (22 points) contributing most of the scoring. Then, as the penultimate quarter ended, they got a much needed spark from reserve guard Shake Milton, who drilled a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give them a 91-84 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
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And that was only the beginning, with Milton pouring in eight more points in the fourth quarter to bring his total to 14 on the night.
That total was just three points fewer than he had scored all postseason combined heading into Tuesday night's game.
Milton averaged 13 points per game during the regular season but had fallen out of the rotation for the Sixers this postseason.
But he remained ready when his number was called and served as the catalyst to a run that helped the Sixers pull away in the fourth quarter and tie this series at one game a piece.
There is reason to believe Embiid will continue to dominate nightly for the Sixers, but the "others" will be just as key for the team to make it out of this series and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.
And in Game 2, Milton stepped up, which bodes well for the Sixers moving forward.
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