It was a good end to the week for the Milwaukee Bucks, ending a mini slide to beat the Brooklyn Nets 118-113 thanks to a strong final quarter on Sunday. Khris Middleton made his return against the Boston Celtics on Friday, and despite playing just his second game, he was in a great groove.
Both teams went back and forth all afternoon, seeing the Bucks fall behind by as many as 12. Yet, a 32-27 fourth-quarter scoring differential helped them claim the win and get back to a winning record at 12-11. Giannis Antetokounmpo continued building his MVP case with a 34-point performance to go alongside his 11 rebounds, four assists and three blocks.
For Khris Middleton, it wasn't the greatest game, but he leaned on his clutch gene later on and came up big for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Khris Middleton's return is exactly what the Bucks needed
The three-time All-Star finished the night with 11 points, with seven of those coming late in the game.
With five minutes to play and the Bucks down 103-98, Doc Rivers turned to Middleton to offer some shot creation, showing the same skills we have seen from him over the years in Milwaukee. A pull-up three was followed by a long two and then a pair of clutch free throws to keep the Nets out of reach.
He added six assists and two rebounds on the night as he finished with a game-high +/- rating of +16. The forward only played 20 minutes off the bench, and it is clear for now that Rivers is going to slowly integrate him back into the rotation following his ankle surgeries this offseason.
It is a plus that he is already willing to take the big shots, even in just his second game back. Just last season, we saw him hit a clutch shot to take Game 3 with the Indiana Pacers to overtime. He has been huge in games against the Celtics in previous years, and we can't forget how he stepped up (along with others) when Giannis Antetokounmpo went down against the Hawks in the title-winning season.
It was a tough night for Damian Lillard, with him finishing with 15 points. Nine of those came from the free throw line, as he went just 2-of-7 (28.6 percent) from the field, all of which were 3-point attempts. This makes the return of Middleton even more integral as it can alleviate the pressure put on Lillard to be the closer.
Opponents now have three players to worry about late, with Giannis also adding the mid-range jumper to his arsenal.
Delon Wright looks to have found his way out of the rotation with Middleton's return, but what will be interesting is how Rivers will look to use the veteran wing moving forward. The likelihood is he will return to the starting lineup, but then either Andre Jackson Jr. or Taurean Prince will drop out. Gary Trent Jr. and AJ Green have both been brilliant off the bench, so it would be hard to see either of them have a reduction in their minutes.
This is a good problem for Milwaukee, with a number of players playing well individually. Bobby Portis has had a tough stretch but bounced back with a 23-point performance on 90 percent shooting vs. the Nets. Middleton's return is great to see in general, but it's also a huge boost for the Bucks, providing extra shot creation and showing his willingness to step up and, more importantly, hit those clutch shots.
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