Milwaukee Bucks swingman Khris Middleton suited up for his team’s season opener against the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night. The three-time All-Star, however, was ruled out of Sunday’s contest against the Atlanta Hawks as the Bucks continue to manage his right knee injury.
All eyes are now on Middleton ahead of their back-to-back set on Monday, which incidentally, is against the defending Eastern Conference champions in the Miami Heat.
Milwaukee Bucks Star Khris Middleton Intends to Play Vs. Heat
The good news for Milwaukee fans is that Middleton’s absence from Sunday’s contest is merely precautionary. He hasn’t suffered a setback on his road to recovery from offseason knee surgery.
In fact, according to Middleton himself, he intends to suit up on Monday against Jimmy Butler and Co.:
“I think they told me maybe after last game that I wasn’t going to play Sunday and play Monday instead,” he said after Saturday’s practice, via Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “That’s just their decision. Like I said, I’m just here doing my job, working as hard as I can be, being coachable. They’re going to let me know when I’m going to play, when I’m not going to play. I wish I could control some things, some things I can’t so I just have to worry about the things I can control.”
This is obviously good news for the Bucks in terms of their upcoming rematch against Miami, but it doesn’t exactly bode well for Middleton’s status moving forward. It remains to be seen up to how long Milwaukee will hold him out in their upcoming back-to-back games.
Adrian Griffin Echoes Middleton’s Statement
Head coach Adrian Griffin shared Middleton’s sentiments. According to the rookie shot-caller, this is all part of the veteran’s road to recovery:
“This is just being smart and ramping him up gradually,” Griffin said. “But he participated in practice today and looked really good.”
Milwaukee’s next back-to-back set is on November 8 and 9 against the Detroit Pistons and the Indiana Pacers, respectively. At this point, Middleton’s status for that set could be considered up in the air.
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