Khris Middleton shares what sparked his late offensive burst in the game against the Miami Heat

‘I was kind of pissed at myself, mostly on the defensive side.’

© Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Although Khris Middleton is playing better these days, he'll be the first to admit he hasn't returned to being his All-Star self. After playing in only 33 games last season due to numerous injuries, the three-time All-Star remains on a strict minutes limit and averages 12.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game.

While his crafty offensive moves are as helpful as ever, his defense has sometimes been an issue. The Miami Heat knew this and took advantage late in their showdown against the Milwaukee Bucks a few days ago. After being scored on a few times, Middleton took this personally, growing increasingly frustrated at his performance.

Pissed at his defensive play

Middleton is a reliable two-way player who takes pride in his defense. He was visibly pissed at himself for being scored on multiple times, and it showed in his eyes and body language. It wasn't until the very end of the game that he was able to turn things around, providing a few key buckets and an assist.

"I was kind of pissed at myself, mostly on the defensive side. I feel like I was letting my team down in a lot of different ways," Middleton shared.

Something about Caleb vs. Milwaukee 🥶 pic.twitter.com/4nwx60Sh7B

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) November 29, 2023

Changed his mindset

Rather than sulk, Middleton shifted his mentality and responded with a couple of buckets to keep the Heat in front. He got out of his own head and focused on playing basketball again, which ultimately led him to success.

"So, I just changed my mindset to be aggressive on both sides. After I was getting killed and torched (on defense), and that's the mindset I have to have. That's the mindset my teammates need to have me have, so it wasn't just aggressive trying to score. It was aggressive playing the game as hard as I can and playing it the right way," Khris added.

Middleton finished with 17 points, eight boards, and two assists, including this beauty of a dime to big man Brook Lopez.

Brook with authority! pic.twitter.com/mHiMJbUaxh

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) November 29, 2023

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