The Milwaukee Bucks have clinched the top seed in the Eastern Conference with two games left to play in the regular season. As they look ahead to the Playoffs, their main goal now is to get healthy. Tonight’s injury report for the game against the Memphis Grizzlies lists all five regular starters and Pat Connaughton out for various reasons. One of those starters, Khris Middleton, left Milwaukee’s last game against the Chicago Bulls with another knee injury.
This was certainly a blow to the team, and they had Middleton undergo a MRI to see if the injury is as bad as the one that kept him out of the Playoffs last season. Shams Charania reported in The Athletic that the Bucks got good news from the MRI.
Milwaukee Bucks Star Khris Middleton’s MRI Was Clean
In his article, Charania wrote:
“Bucks star Khris Middleton underwent an MRI on his ailing right knee on Thursday and results came back clean, according to sources. Middleton is expected to use the next week or so to rehab the knee in hopes of being ready for the playoffs beginning April 15.
The Bucks clinched the top seed and the NBA’s best regular-season record this week, led largely by another MVP-caliber campaign from Giannis Antetokounmpo. But Middleton contributed 15.1 points, 4.9 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game. He has been a significant part of the Bucks’ success over the last few seasons.
“Middleton has battled knee issues that kept him out earlier this season for an extended amount of time. The Bucks got good news this time around, but this definitely got me thinking about his honest and candid conversation earlier in the year with our own Eric Nehm about how hard it was for him to rehab.”
While the Bucks were certainly one of the NBA’s best teams without Middleton, they were also certainly much better with him. His chemistry with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday cannot be undervalued. Additionally, he provides a much needed third scoring option and take the pressure off of the Bucks’ role players.
There is also the fact that the Bucks have not lost a Playoff series in which Giannis, Middleton, and Holiday all played together. The Boston Celtics are a real threat to knock the Bucks out of the Playoffs again this year. If Middleton is not healthy, the chances of that happening greatly increase.
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