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Despite the loss, Khris Middleton says he felt great in his second game back from a long layoff: "Felt great overall"

"I thought my wind was there for the most part."

Jonas Panerio

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If there was a silver lining to the Milwaukee Bucks’ 122-119 defeat at the hands of the Boston Celtics, it’s that veteran wingman Khris Middleton played well and came away unscathed. The 12-year-pro was playing in his second game back from a severely sprained left ankle that kept him out of the lineup for 16 straight games.

Speaking after the game, Middleton shared that although there were moments when he felt winded, overall, he felt great on the court. It was a promising sign for both Middleton and the Bucks, who are currently in second place in the Eastern Conference standings.

Second stellar performance in a row

Middleton’s importance to the Bucks’ hopes of capturing another NBA title cannot be understated. Despite being Milwaukee’s third option behind superstars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, Khris's ability to create shots and make plays for others opens the offense up for the Bucks.

On Thursday, Middleton scored 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting. He also had six rebounds and six assists, playing 32 minutes.

“Felt great overall," Middleton said.

"I thought my wind was there for the most part. Some of those longer stretches, I got a little tired and fatigued, but that’s part of it, that’s part of getting back in shape, that’s part of basketball in general. Just gotta find a way to get through it.”

Minutes restriction

Middleton’s performance on Thursday was a stellar follow-up to his 22-point outing against the Phoenix Suns last Sunday afternoon. According to Rivers, the medical staff is imposing a minutes restriction on Middleton, with the number being 30 against the Celtics. However, Middleton went slightly over that.

“The number was 30 tonight, so two extra minutes. That wasn’t that bad. He felt great. He wanted to stay in. I hated to take him out that one stretch (in the fourth quarter). He just made a shot and but we’re looking at his minutes, and we had to take him out. Our whole thought was if we made a run, we could have him for the last three minutes, but he sat for like six minutes, so he got put in a tough situation,” Rivers shared.

Former NBA vet reiterates importance of Khris Middleton in Bucks’ title hunt: "He was their closer when they won that championship"

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Jonas Panerio
JONAS PANERIO