The Sixers have won 16 games in a row to lock up the third seed in the Eastern Conference and make them the hottest team in the NBA entering the postseason. Philadelphia has done so behind their young core, led by Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, but bolstered by Dario Saric, Robert Covington, and others.
Markelle Fultz was not a part of the Sixers’ run for the majority of the season, battling a mysterious shoulder injury that led to a lot of questions about his NBA future. There were those that wondered if his problem was mental as much if not more than it was physical, and after weeks became months of absence, few expected him to be a factor for the playoff push.
Fultz made his surprising return to the Sixers lineup recently and has been growing more and more comfortable over the past week, and appears to be a genuine positive for Philadelphia’s rotation. How much Fultz plays in the playoffs will be something we’ll learn soon, but all indications are that he’ll continue to serve as the backup point guard to presumed Rookie of the Year Ben Simmons.
On Wednesday night, Fultz had his best performance of the season, recording a triple-double off the bench in the Sixers 130-95 beatdown of the Bucks. Fultz had 13 points, 10 boards, and 10 assists in the game, and earned his triple-double in impressive fashion with a big board inside to earn his 10th rebound, which sent his team into a frenzy.
Look at how Markelle Fultz’s teammates react to his triple double. They genuinely love the kid. Heart-warming stuff. #Sixers pic.twitter.com/V73AEOZenW
— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) April 12, 2018
Fultz’s triple-double wasn’t just a monumental moment for him and the Sixers, but also made some NBA history.
Markelle Fultz is the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple double. #Sixers
— Jon Johnson (@jonjohnsonwip) April 12, 2018
The celebration was just the latest in the incredible support Fultz has gotten from his teammates and the Sixers fans since making his return, as they continue to bolster that confidence in his game. After the game, Fultz was the man of the hour for the postgame interview and his teammates ran up on him for another surprise.
FULTZ TRIPLE DOUBLE PARTY pic.twitter.com/wZ8YfKV7jr
— drew (@sixersruinedme) April 12, 2018
Simmons, Covington, and Amir Johnson game the rookie point guard a nice water bottle shower that caught Fultz off guard and led to an F-bomb on the hot mic. No one will fault him for that and the Sixers have to be thrilled to get this kind of boost to their rotation heading into the playoffs, with Joel Embiid targeting a return soon to make them really scary.
