Milwaukee Bucks: Khris Middleton quickly finding his stride in NBA Playoffs
By Dalton Sell
The Milwaukee Bucks have jumped out and taken a 2-0 series lead over the Miami Heat as the series shifts down south for the next two matchups.
Among the driving factors that have helped the Bucks win their first two consecutive games has been Khris Middleton. The forward was pegged as the biggest potential X-factor for this Milwaukee team by many onlookers heading into the playoffs, which has proved true to some degree throughout these first two games.
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Middleton struggled mightily to find any sustainable momentum early in Game 1, but established himself as the game went on by finishing with a team-high 27 points on 10-for-22 shooting (3-for-9 from deep). The biggest shot of the night came on his game-winning jumper with seconds left to hand the Bucks a massive win.
He carried that scorching momentum over to Game 2 by finishing with 17 points on a highly efficient 4-for-5 shooting, including 3-for-3 from behind the arc.
Khris Middleton is off to a hot start for the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Playoffs
Averaging 22 points while shooting 51.9 percent from the field and 50 percent from 3-point territory, Middleton has certainly been rather efficient on the offensive end to kick things off. Also hauling in four rebounds and 4.5 assists per game, the forward has been off to a great start throughout these first two games.
Although it comes in a rather small sample size, the biggest factor for Middleton’s top-notch production thus far has seemingly been his confidence level. After starting slow on the offensive end in Game 1 over the Heat, he stayed locked in throughout the rest of the contest before eventually hitting his stellar game-winning shot to seal the victory.
This confidence was something that he discussed following that opening game and how he will not get deterred no matter how sluggish he starts. Via the team’s YouTube channel:
"“I had all the confidence in myself. You miss a lot of shots, you make a lot of shots. You just have to trust the work that you put in during the season in practice. That’s all I do when I’m in those situations or even if I miss a couple in a row or have some bad misses. Shoot the next one with confidence knowing that you worked on these shots before and that you’ve seen them go in.”"
That confidence level in himself has paid off to this point, with some memorable moments on display throughout these first two contests. The biggest question will be whether or not it can be sustained moving forward as the Bucks look to make a deep playoff run.
Middleton has been plagued with the question of whether or not he can genuinely be the second option on a team competing at the forefront of a championship for several years now. While the forward has had his share of disappearing acts in the playoffs over to the past two seasons prior, his hot start bodes well for Milwaukee’s chances.
Milwaukee Bucks are shutting down Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. dark. Next
Jumping out to a 2-0 series lead over the Miami Heat, it is hard to ignore just how impactful Middleton has been early on. With the series shifting to South Beach for the next two, time will tell if he can translate that same success on the road.