Milwaukee Bucks: 5 trends to watch for heading into final week of season
Khris Middleton’s play has been a rising trend for the Milwaukee Bucks
Last but not least, Khris Middleton has risen just as the Bucks have overall going into the final week of the season.
That doesn’t mean Middleton has played perfect basketball by any means as he’s fought through tough halves on given nights to only deliver when it has mattered most. Recent Bucks wins over the Bulls and the Nets have all reinforced that trend for the two-time All-Star. Even taking into account those dips, Middleton is averaging 24 points on .439/.409/.929 shooting, 6.2 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.2 steals over his last six appearances and the Bucks’ last seven games.
Along with that, Middleton’s defense against Nets superstar forward Kevin Durant played a big part in the Bucks being able to withstand Durant’s scoring outbursts. Per NBA.com/stats, Middleton has held Durant to 29 points on 11-for-24 shooting from the field (2-for-6 from three), six assists and three turnovers across 55.7 partial possessions in the three games against the Nets this season.
Needless to say, Milwaukee will need that kind of same two-way play from Middleton going into the playoffs as well as to stay aggressive just as he has, even in the spells where his shot isn’t falling.
Next. 3 Bucks angling towards big roles in the postseason. dark
Only five games this regular season for the Milwaukee Bucks and all eyes will be on whether they can correct the things that have historically sunk them come playoff time.