Shake Milton collected 24 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds and Tobias Harris added 23 points and 10 boards to lift the Philadelphia 76ers to a 107-99 victory over the host Orlando Magic on Friday in a battle of undermanned teams.
Milton made 7 of 13 shots from the floor — including 4 of 7 from 3-point range — for the 76ers, who outscored the Magic by a 55-43 margin in the second half.
Georges Niang added 18 points off the bench and Montrezl Harrell added 14 points and eight rebounds as Philadelphia posted its fifth win in seven outings. The 76ers will look for a sweep of the two-game set in Orlando on Sunday night.
Philadelphia played without Joel Embiid for the third straight game due to a left mid-foot sprain. The 76ers also were without James Harden (right foot strain), Tyrese Maxey (left foot fracture), Matisse Thybulle (left ankle soreness) and Jaden Springer (right quad strain).
Franz Wagner scored 24 points and Bol Bol collected 18 points and eight rebounds for the Magic, who have lost five of their last six games.
Orlando star rookie Paolo Banchero scored 19 points in his return from a seven-game absence due to a sprained left ankle. The top overall pick of the 2022 NBA Draft made 8 of 11 foul shots while playing in his first game since Nov. 7.
The Magic, however, played without Wendell Carter Jr (right plantar fascia strain), Chuma Okeke (left knee soreness) and Terrence Ross (illness).
Mo Bamba made a pair of free throws to trim Philadelphia’s lead to 96-91 with 5:46 to play before Harris sank an off-balance jumper in the lane. Milton followed with a long jumper and Niang drained a 3-pointer with 2:58 to play to provide the 76ers some breathing room.
Banchero made a pair of jumpers to stake Orlando to a 60-54 lead with exactly 10 minutes remaining in the third quarter before Philadelphia turned the tide. Milton made a pair of 3-pointers to highlight a 10-0 surge by the 76ers.
–Field Level Media
