Khris Middleton will make his season debut against defending champion Celtics
BOSTON (AP) — Milwaukee forward Khris Middleton will make his season debut Friday night against defending champion Boston after missing the Bucks’ first 21 games while recovering from offseason surgeries on both of his ankles.
Bucks coach Doc Rivers said the three-time All-Star likely wouldn’t start and will be on a minutes restriction. Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is dealing with right patella tendinopathy, will also play on his 30th birthday.
Middleton appeared in just 33 games in 2022-23 and 55 games last season due to various injuries. A sprained medial collateral ligament caused him to miss the Bucks’ final 10 playoff games in 2022.
“Coming back from this one I wanted to make sure I was all the way ready to come back, be as fresh as I can mentally to be in a good spot because this is a long, grueling season,” Middleton told reporters following Friday morning’s shoot around. “I’m going to go through a lot of things during the season, going to get hit, banged up, whatever, to have that mindset that I can still fight through and to keep going.”
This will be just the ninth time Rivers, who took over as the Bucks coach for the final 36 games last season, has had the All-Star trio of Antetokounmpo, Middleton and Damian Lillard on the floor together with him on the sideline. It will be just the 43rd time overall they’ve shared the court in a game.
“Every coach, you want your key guys, and the more games you have them the better,” Rivers said. “Every time we can get them on the floor in a practice. Every time we can get them on the floor in a game and it’s him, Giannis and Dame — it’s going to help our team grow. That’s where we’re behind with other teams who have had their key guys play together. It will come. It’s just going to take a minute.
Rivers and Bucks general manager Jon Horst had expressed optimism before the season that the recovery wouldn’t cause Middleton to miss much time, but this situation instead continued the 33-year-old Middleton’s recent struggles to stay on the floor.
Rivers acknowledged it will be tough working Middleton back into the rotation 21 games into the season. The Bucks opened the season 2-8, but have won 9 of their last 11 since a 113-107 loss at Boston on Nov. 10.
“It’s not easy, obviously,” Rivers said. “It’s whatever amount of games into the season, but I still want him back. Whatever the minutes are, we’re going to use them all up.”
Middleton appeared in just 33 games in 2022-23 and 55 games last season due to various injuries. A sprained medial collateral ligament caused him to miss the Bucks’ final 10 playoff games in 2022.
He remains productive when healthy. Middleton averaged 15.1 points, 5.3 assists and 4.7 rebounds during the 2023-24 regular season. When Antetokounmpo missed the Bucks’ first-round playoff loss to the Indiana Pacers, Middleton took over a greater role and averaged 24.7 points, 9.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists over the six-game series.
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