Bucks' Khris Middleton makes his season debut against defending champion Celtics
BOSTON (AP) — Milwaukee forward Khris Middleton made 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.
Middleton entered the game midway through the first quarter. Bucks coach Doc Rivers said the three-time All-Star would be on a minutes restriction. Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is dealing with right patella tendinopathy, also played on his 30th birthday.
Middleton appeared in just 33 games in 2022-23 and 55 games last season due to various injuries. Also, a sprained medial collateral ligament forced 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 Friday morning. “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.”
It was just the ninth time that Rivers, who took over as the Bucks' coach for the final 36 games last season, had the All-Star trio of Antetokounmpo, Middleton and Damian Lillard on the floor together. It was the 43rd time overall the trio shared the court.
“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 the 33-year-old Middleton to miss much time.
Rivers acknowledged it would be tough working Middleton back into the rotation 21 games into the season. The Bucks opened the season 2-8, but entered Friday having won nine of 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.”
He remains productive when healthy. Middleton averaged 15.1 points, 5.3 assists and 4.7 rebounds in 2023-24. When Antetokounmpo missed the Bucks’ first-round playoff loss to the Indiana Pacers, Middleton took on a greater role and averaged 24.7 points, 9.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists over the six-game series.
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