After a devastating shoulder injury that kept the Philadelphia 76ers rookie off the hardwood for the majority of the season, Markelle Fultz has netted his first career triple-double in the final game of the regular season. At age 19, he’s the youngest player in history to do so.
At 19 years old and 317 days, Fultz takes over a record that was held by current Los Angeles Lakers rookie point guard Lonzo Ball who was 20-years-old when he set the record. Fultz finished last night’s win over the Milwaukee Bucks with 13 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists.
“To see his teammates react to Markelle Fultz was special,” 76ers coach Brett Brown told ESPN. “I think it’s a snapshot of who these guys are.” The Sixers will start their playoff run against the 6th seed Miami Heat on Saturday.
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
The former University of Washington Husky’s new record surely will be something of a boost going into the postseason as the 76ers look to have a real shot at going to the finals this year with a declining Cavaliers team. The Sixers finish the regular season with 52 wins and 30 losses.
Fultz missed 68 games this season due to a shoulder injury. His return this season was a surprise to many after training videos revealed how severely the number one overall pick in this year’s draft was damaged. Fultz was seen struggling with his shooting form, throwing up awkward looking jump shots. Not long after these videos were posted, Fultz was cleared to return to action and now seems to be an asset, not a liability, to this scorching hot team that is finishing the regular season on a 16 game win streak.
