Milwaukee Bucks 2017-18 Season Review: Khris Middleton

Game of the season

While he set a new career-high two weeks into the season and notched his first career triple-double in mid-January, it was Middleton’s splendid performance in Game 1 of the Bucks’ series against the Celtics that arguably stands as his most lasting outing of the year, considering the stakes attached to it.

Some of that is naturally tied to Middleton’s performances in the Bucks’ past playoff runs in 2015 and 2017, the latter of which came at the end of the 26-year-old’s aforementioned injury shortened campaign.

But Middleton set the tone for his spectacular individual series on this day, seeing that he, along with superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, kept the Bucks afloat all throughout the 113-107 loss by methodically attacking the basket, knocking down vital threes and snuffing out plays on the defensive end.

Of course, that culminated with Middleton’s last-second heroic moment at the end of regulation when he miraculously heaved an incredibly long three-pointer with 0.5 seconds left to tie it up at 99 and help send the game into overtime.

In total, Middleton finished with 31 points on 12-of-20 shooting from the field (5-for-7 from three), eight rebounds, six assists, three turnovers, two steals, one block and was a +11 on the afternoon.

While it’s easy to say that Middleton’s showing on this day went all for naught, considering the result, it would be the start of seeing the former Aggie rise up to the moment and do away with the narrative that was associated with his past postseason struggles.