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Khris Middleton says his conditioning was on point as he scores 22 in his return from an ankle sprain
Veteran wingman Khris Middleton made his much-awaited return to the Milwaukee Bucks lineup on Sunday and immediately made his presence felt, scoring 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting and dishing out seven dimes in a dominant win over the Phoenix Suns. After the game, the former All-Star said his conditioning level was where it was supposed to be, helping him to make a smooth transition back into the team’s rotation.
Knew what he was doing
Now playing in his 12th NBA season, Middleton said he already had a clear idea of what he needed to do in his return from the ankle sprain that had kept him out of the Bucks’ lineup since February 6.
“It’s weird I’ve been doing this a long time where I know how to slow myself down and not try to go too fast or speed myself up,” Middleton said.
“I know how to come in, play at my pace, and change my pace when need be. A lot of the work I was doing in rehab was just making sure my wind was there, my conditioning was as good as it can be, and I thought it was.”
Looked pretty impressive out there
Middleton’s mobility and athleticism were apparent versus the Suns as he got to his spots on offense and moved his feet on defense, staying in front of the likes of All-Stars Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant.
He also confidently drove to the rim and got his midrange game going. After the game, Bucks coach Doc Rivers was pleasantly surprised with Middleton's performance, saying he looked “pretty impressive” out on the court.
“Khris Middleton, I tell you, for a guy that missed that many games to look that good was pretty impressive,” Rivers said.
