The Milwaukee Bucks have done with many believed (and some hoped) they could not do. After starting the season 2-8, a stretch that included a disastrous six-game losing streak, they have won seven of their last eight games, including five in a row, to get back to .500 at 9-9.
Their latest victory, a 106-103 win over the Miami Heat, saw Damian Lillard lead the Bucks with 37 points and 12 assists. What made the win even more impressive was that it was achieved without Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was a late scratch with a knee injury.
And, as has been the case all season, Milwaukee played without three-time All-Star Khris Middleton. The franchise all-time leader in three pointer made has yet to play this season due to his recovery from offseason surgery on both of his ankles.
Milwaukee Bucks Head Coach Doc Rivers Seems Tired of Answering Khris Middleton Injury Questions
When news of Middleton’s surgery was first revealed this summer, the Bucks informed fans that he should be ready for the start of the regular season. Well, Milwaukee is a month into the 2024-25 NBA regular season and the third member of their Big Three has yet to play.
Earlier this week, it was reported that Middleton would be able to make his season debut after Thanksgiving. With their next game coming up tomorrow, many Bucks fans hoped that they would finally get to watch him play.
But that is not going to happen, at least tomorrow.
And Rivers seemed a little frustrated with questions regarding why.
According to Eric Nehm of The Athletic, Rivers answered a question about Middleton’s progress with the following statement:
“He’s progressing. I keep saying it. You can ask me as many questions as you want, it’s not going to make him come back any faster.”
When reminded that the team has three games in the next four days, and four games in the next six, Rivers interrupted with:
“But that doesn’t matter for when a guy’s coming back or not. When he’s back and he’s ready, he’s going to play. It doesn’t matter if we have five in a row. He won’t play all five, but he’ll play.”
Middleton has played five-on-five in practice, but he is still not in good enough shape to be able to play in an NBA game even though his ankles have been medically cleared.
It sounds like conditioning is what Middleton and the team are waiting on.
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