Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said on Tuesday that Khris Middleton is “close” to returning from a lingering ankle injury. The tenured shot-caller even hinted that there’s a chance Middleton will be able to play on Thursday night against the Charlotte Hornets.
Well, that possibility has already been thrown out the window after the Bucks officially ruled Middleton out for Thursday’s matchup. In fact, recent developments seem to point to the fact that the 32-year-old isn’t actually as close to returning as initially anticipated.
Khris Middleton Did Not Join Milwaukee Bucks in Current Road Trip
The Bucks play two games in two nights: Thursday against the Hornets, and Friday against the Chicago Bulls. Both are road games as well.
On Tuesday, Coach Doc stated that there’s a possibility that Middleton will be available if he’s cleared to join the team for this brief trip:
“If he goes, we think he may play,” Rivers said (h/t Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel). “I think it’s that close. We got to be very careful with it.”
Unfortunately, according to Eric Nehm of The Athletic, Middleton stayed in Milwaukee to continue rehabbing his ankle injury:
Khris Middleton is not with the Bucks in Charlotte.
Not sure if he will make the trip down to Chicago tomorrow or not. https://t.co/uPNYAf7oqJ
— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) February 29, 2024
As the above report indicates, there is now a significant possibility that Middleton will sit out on Friday as well. While it is very much possible, it seems unlikely that Middleton will be traveling to Chicago alone to join the Bucks there.
If Middleton sits out again on Friday, that will be his 10th consecutive game on the sidelines. His next chance to play would be on Monday when the Bucks return to Milwaukee to host the Los Angeles Clippers.
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