3 Milwaukee Bucks that must step up after Giannis Antetokounmpo’s injury

Milwaukee Bucks that must step up following Giannis Antetokounmpo’s injury: Khris Middleton

The remainder of Milwaukee’s playoff run currently hinges on Khris Middleton and whether he can step up to the plate with his running mate injured.

Aside from a fourth quarter assault in Game 3 that saw him score 20 of his 38 total points in the final 12 minutes, Middleton has been quiet throughout the first four games. His shooting splits have been far below his typical production as he is shooting just 41.8 percent from the floor and a terrible 22.9 percent from behind the arc. Set to have the ball in his hands much more than he already often does, the Bucks need a resurrecting effort from their two-time All-Star to keep their title hopes alive.

Given everything at stake, Middleton must get himself in an immediate rhythm. It is clear that he has looked atrocious to start each of the four games in this series, and the numbers unfortunately back up that claim. According to NBA.com/stats, Middleton has woefully scored just 15 points throughout the four first quarters in this series, shooting 6-of-18 from the field and 1-of-8 from behind the arc. Without Antetokounmpo able to jumpstart the offense, all eyes shift toward Middleton to see if he will get this team going.

Middleton has risen to the occasion in big moments during this turbulent playoff run thus far, and this could arguably be the biggest of them all tonight. All of the spotlight will be directed towards him, and he must put on a masterclass to give the Bucks their best chance to win this game on their home floor.

It should be a thrilling Game 5 between these two hungry teams, and you can catch the action at 7:30 p.m. CST on TNT.