Significant Khris Middleton Update Before NBA Playoffs
On Sunday, the Milwaukee Bucks will host Game 1 of their first-round playoff series against either the Miami Heat or Chicago Bulls.
The Bulls and Heat will face off on Friday night in the play-in tournament, and the winner of the game will become the eighth seed.
Khris Middleton missed the final two games of the regular season, but the three-time NBA All-Star was a full participant in practice on Thursday.
Via Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: "#Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer said Khris Middleton (right knee) & Pat Connaughton (right ankle) practiced fully today."
Middleton finished the regular season with averages of 15.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.9 assists per contest over 33 games.
However, he shot just 43.6% from the field and 31.5% from the three-point range.
For reference, the 31-year-old averaged 20.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.4 assists per contest (while shooting 37.3% from the three-point range) last season.
Despite his down year, Middleton is one of their most important players and will be vital for their playoff run.
The Bucks were the best team in the NBA during the regular season, with a 58-24 record.
They ended the season 6-4 over their final ten games and an incredible 32-9 in the 41 games they hosted on their home floor in Wisconsin.
In 2021, the Bucks won the NBA Championship over the Phoenix Suns, while they lost in the second round of the 2022 playoffs (Middleton got injured during the first round and did not play in the second round).
