Despite late blunder against Bulls, De’Anthony Melton returning to ‘De’Anthony stuff’ for Sixers

CHICAGO — De’Anthony Melton owned his crunch-time blunder following the 76ers’ home loss to the Chicago Bulls Monday night.

With the game tied at 105 and less than a minute remaining in double overtime, the defensive guard thought the Sixers had a foul to give — and reached in when Bulls star Zach LaVine attempted to go left. But the Sixers were already in the bonus, sending LaVine to the line for the go-ahead free throws of Chicago’s 109-105 victory to snap the Sixers’ eight-game winning streak.

“I won’t speak too much on that,” Melton said of the foul following the game. “But just lack of communication on my part. I’ll wear that, but got to keep moving on.”

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Still, Melton has largely returned to doing “De’Anthony stuff,” as Doc Rivers coined, since the coach moved Tyrese Maxey back into the starting lineup and shifted Melton back to a sixth man role. After stuffing the box score with 14 points, five rebounds, five assists and six steals in Saturday’s win at the Indiana Pacers, Melton totaled 19 points (including 5-of-12 from three-point range), six rebounds and four steals in the first of two consecutive matchups against the Bulls.

In his past 10 games entering Wednesday, Melton is averaging 10.1 points on 49.3% shooting from the floor and 42.3% from beyond the arc. He’s also contributed 4.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.8 steals per game — numbers that align with his “Mr. Do Something” nickname. That has occurred following a shooting slump and dip in defensive activity, just before and after the All-Star break. And the Sixers might need that level of production from Melton as a starter on Wednesday, with star James Harden out for the game because of left Achilles soreness.

“I wouldn’t say it’s anything specific,” Melton said of his recent uptick. “Just staying in the gym, understanding where and when I can attack and just having the confidence in myself and that teammates are instilling in me, too.”

Melton has reiterated all season that he has no preference when it comes to starting or coming off the bench. Rivers said Melton was “fine” with the decision to alter the rotation, which has also reignited Maxey as a dangerous scorer. Melton is still regularly part of the Sixers’ closing lineup with Maxey and Harden, where his perimeter defense and catch-and-shoot ability are valuable.

The fifth-year guard said the primary difference when he moves to a bench role is holding more ballhandling and playmaking responsibilities when Maxey and/or Harden is off the floor. When Melton is off the ball, the Sixers have also recently emphasized getting him out of the corners and to the wing, where he is a more effective three-point shooter. He made five of his first eight deep shots Monday, before missing all four attempts in the two overtime periods.

“I try not to change my role no matter what,” Melton said. “Just go out there play hard, play together and whatever comes with it.”

Coincidentally, Rivers on Saturday called Melton “the best foul-to-give guy ever,” because of his “spectacular” ability to gamble for steals before intentionally drawing a whistle.

The Sixers just can’t already be in the bonus, like they were late Monday.

“That’s on both of us,” Rivers said.

Reserve wing Jalen McDaniels was added to the Sixers’ injury report Wednesday with the hip bruise that kept him out of two games last week.

McDaniels played in the Sixers’ past two games, but appeared to be in visible discomfort while moving on the floor. After Monday’s loss to Chicago, Rivers said McDaniels “didn’t look good. That’s why I took him out” after he played less than nine minutes.

McDaniels has averaged 5.7 points and 3.3 rebounds in 15 games since joining the Sixers at the mid-February trade deadline.

Both Harden and McDaniels were ruled out for the Bulls game. Harden went 2-for-14 from the floor in Monday’s loss to the Bulls, and Rivers said after the game that he “thought [Harden] was hurting a little bit.

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