Milwaukee Bucks: Analyzing Khris Middleton/DeMarre Carroll Matchup
By Reid Mueller
Head to Head
Middleton and Carroll only went head to head one time this season due to his hamstring injury. The Bucks won the game 101-94 in Milwaukee on Mar. 4. It was the original Spencer Hawes game.
Middleton scored efficiently, with 24 points on 9-14 shooting from the field, 1-4 from three, and 5-6 from the free throw line. He also had a number of hockey assists, setting his teammates up by drawing multiple defenders, before dropping it off to Giannis, who then found the open shooter. His playmaking didn’t result in anything on the stat sheet, as he finished with zero assists, but made a difference for the offense.
Carroll struggled in the game, putting up four points, shooting 2-7 from the field and 0-4 from three. His night ended after he rolled his ankle attacking the offensive glass to start the second half, giving him 19 minutes on the night.
The Raptors looked to P.J. Tucker, Norman Powell, and DeMar DeRozan to guard the Bucks star from there. He was able to take DeRozan into the post and hit a turnaround mid-range jumper without much contest. Middleton crossed over Tucker to get into the lane, setting up a rotation for an open three. And he also looked to have the advantage in an isolation situation over the young Powell.