Milwaukee Bucks: 3 takeaways from 125-112 win over Denver Nuggets

Takeaway no. 1 from Milwaukee Bucks’ win over Nuggets — Khris Middleton puts in big night

Going into the night with their star point guard and with Antetokounmpo riding some major ups and downs, the Bucks were in need of a stabilizing force to put their trust in over the course of the night. It turns out that Khris Middleton was up for the job.

The two-time All-Star finished with 29 points on 9-of-16 shooting from the field (0-for-5 from long range, 11-of-11 from the free throw line), 12 assists, eight rebounds, three steals in nearly 36-and-a-half minutes

Middleton was dialed in early for the night as he got to his spots with ease and regularly fired up shots over multiple Nuggets defenders. As the night wore on, Middleton made a habit of picking on Nuggets wing Will Barton when hunting for mismatches and to get to the free throw line, which certainly left a sour taste in Barton’s mouth.

Whenever the Bucks needed a bucket, Middleton promptly canned such shots. But it was the way in which Middleton smoothly facilitated and took the reins of the Bucks’ offense that further bolstered his standout night and led to him having a career-high 12 assists.

Coming off a quiet week by his standards, Middleton picked a vital time to arguably have his best performance of the season Monday night and it was certainly further evidence Middleton’s All-Star case has never been greater prior to this season.

The Bucks will go for their sixth straight win when they take on the Phoenix Suns Wednesday night for a 9 p.m. central time tip-off.