<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/bucks-news-khris-middletons-best-take-great-sign-for-return-to-form');   ga('set', 'title', 'Khris Middleton’s ‘best’ take a great sign for Bucks return to form');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Bucks-news-Khris-Middletons-best-take-a-great-sign-for-return-to-form.jpg"></figure><h1>Khris Middleton’s ‘best’ take a great sign for Bucks return to form</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-22T10:56:29-08:00">December 22nd, 10:56am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-22T10:56:29-08:00">December 22nd, 10:56am</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University senior from Atlanta on track to graduate with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Milwaukee Bucks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>On Saturday evening, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-doc-rivers-blames-damian-lillard-ruining-bobby-portis-triple-double-attempt">Milwaukee Bucks bounced back</a> from a rough loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers with a dominant home victory vs the Washington Wizards on the second night of a back to back. The Bucks dominated this one essentially from the start despite playing <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-giannis-antetokounmpo-khris-middleton-final-injury-updates-wizards-clash">without Giannis Antetokounmpo</a>, winning in basically every facet of the game and led by an epic 34-point performance from Bobby Portis.</p><p>Khris Middleton had arguably his best game of the season in this one, scoring 18 points, grabbing six rebounds, and dishing out eight assists in just 24 minutes of action.</p><p>After the game, Middleton spoke on what he felt was <a href="https://x.com/eric_nehm/status/1870696475543707918" rel="noopener">clicking for him</a> out there on the floor, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic.</p><p>“Still got a little bit to go, but tonight definitely felt like the best night I’ve had thus far. Always great to get a couple 3s going, mid-range going.”</p><p>When the Bucks stumbled out of the gates this year to a 2-8 start, one perhaps underreported reason why was the absence of Middleton, who missed the opening portion of this season due to an injury.</p><p>However, since Middleton has returned to the lineup, the Bucks have picked up the pace. Even though his stats haven’t necessarily been eye-popping so far, Middleton’s presence has opened up more room for volume shooters like Gary Trent Jr. and AJ Green, each of whom have seen their percentages skyrocket as of late.</p><p>It’s easy to forget just how important of a role Khris Middleton played in the Bucks’ championship run in 2021, closing several games for them down the stretch during that postseason, including multiple occasions in the NBA Finals vs the Phoenix Suns.</p><p>In any case, the Bucks will next take the floor on Monday evening vs the Chicago Bulls on the road. That game will tip off at 8:00 PM ET from the United Center.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Khris Middleton’s ‘best’ take a great sign for Bucks return to form

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/bucks-news-giannis-antetokounmpo-khris-middleton-final-injury-updates-wizards-clash');   ga('set', 'title', 'Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton get final injury updates for Wizards clash');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/IMG_1119.jpeg"></figure><h1>Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton get final injury updates for Wizards clash</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-21T16:44:15-08:00">December 21st, 4:44pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-21T16:44:15-08:00">December 21st, 4:44pm</time><address><a>David Yapkowitz</a>David Yapkowitz is an NBA Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a credentialed reporter based in Los Angeles who covers the NBA/WNBA, NCAA/NCAAW and boys/girls high school basketball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Milwaukee Bucks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Milwaukee <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-fans-go-wild-milwaukee-nba-cup-dominance-vs-thunder">Bucks have turned their season around following their NBA Cup win</a>. Since then, the Bucks have gone 0-1 coming into their Saturday matchup against the Washington Wizards. The Bucks are set to be a little short-handed against the Wizards with a key injury update. Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo <a href="https://x.com/Bucks/status/1870621782169801149" rel="noopener">was ruled out</a> on the Bucks injury list, the team announced. But Khris Middleton was upgraded to available.</p><p>Giannis Antetokoumpo was ruled out due to a back injury, while Middleton is still ramping up to game shape after his return from offseason ankle surgery. The Bucks will also be without Damian Lillard who also missed the team’s loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in their first game since the NBA Cup. Lillard is dealing with a calf injury.</p><p>This will be only the third missed game this season for Antetokounmpo. Despite rumored possible trade pursuits from other teams, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-bucks-giannis-antetokounmpo-not-seeking-trade">Antetokounmpo reportedly has no desire to be traded</a>. In the 24 games he’s suited up in this season, he’s been averaging a league-leading 32.7 points, 11.6 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.5 blocked shots. He’s shooting 61.3 percent from the field.</p><p>In Khris Middleton’s case, he missed the first 21 games of the 2024-25 season as he continued his recovery from offseason surgery. He’s played in five games since he’s returned to the lineup, although he’s been coming off the bench.</p><p>In the five games that Middleton’s played in, he’s been averaging 8.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.2 steals with splits of 30.8 percent shooting from the field, 28.6 percent shooting from the three-point line and 82.4 percent shooting from the free-throw line. Middleton’s percentages are obviously concerning, but they should even out as he continues to feel more comfortable and up to game speed.</p><p>The Bucks began the season at 2-8 despite the general consensus penning them as a potential contender in the Eastern Conference. But the Bucks have managed to regroup and change the trajectory of their season. They are currently 14-12 and fifth place in the East. They’ve gone 7-3 in their last ten games.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton get final injury updates for Wizards clash

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/khris-middleton-playing-vs-cavs');   ga('set', 'title', 'Is Khris Middleton playing vs. Cavs after missing NBA Cup Final?');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Bucks-news-Is-Khris-Middleton-playing-vs.-Cavs-after-missing-NBA-Cup-Final.jpg"></figure><h1>Is Khris Middleton playing vs. Cavs after missing NBA Cup Final?</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-20T11:19:04-08:00">December 20th, 11:19am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-20T11:19:04-08:00">December 20th, 11:19am</time><address><a href="https://www.downeuclid.com">Evan Dammarell</a>Evan Dammarell is an award-winning sports journalist covering all things Cleveland, including the Cavs, right off the shores of Lake Erie. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Milwaukee Bucks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Milwaukee Bucks face the Cleveland Cavaliers at home tonight. Khris Middleton is <a href="https://ak-static.cms.nba.com/referee/injury/Injury-Report_2024-12-20_12PM.pdf" rel="noopener">on the injury report</a> alongside Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-khris-middleton-doubtful-nba-cup-title-game-vs-thunder">Middleton is dealing with an illness</a> that made him miss Milwaukee’s NBA Cup Championship win. Meanwhile, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-giannis-antetokounmpo-damian-lillard-nba-cup-injury-report">Lillard (calf) and Antetokoumpo (patella) were able to play</a> through their respective injuries, combining for 49 points, 23 rebounds and 14 assists. Lillard won’t play for the Bucks against the Cavs, so hopefully, Middleton will be available. Here’s everything we know about Khris Middleton’s injury and playing status tonight vs. the Cavs.</p><p><i><b>*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV <a href="https://www.fubo.tv/lp/nba/?irad=356361&amp;irmp=492408" rel="noopener sponsored">(free trial)</a>*</b></i></p><h2><b>Khris Middleton’s injury status vs. the Cavs</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Khris-Middleton-celebrates-Bucks.jpg"><figcaption>Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Given that Khris Middleton is listed as probable, he’ll likely play against the Cavs in Cleveland. Middleton sat out practice Monday but tried to go through the team’s walkthrough Tuesday morning. A few hours before the game, he was downgraded to doubtful before being ruled out by head coach Doc Rivers, who said the team didn’t want to risk his illness spreading with a back-to-back starting with the Cavs this weekend.</p><p>“He just didn’t feel good, and we didn’t want to take a chance with him being around the guys,” Rivers said. “Just wasn’t worth the chance.”</p><p>Middleton will likely continue to play between 20 and 25 minutes if he’s upgraded to available. Since his return, he has not found his groove through the first four games. Middleton has played only four games this season after missing the team’s first 21 contests while recovering from offseason surgery on both ankles. He is averaging 7.0 points, 5.8 assists, 3.0 rebounds, and 21 minutes this season. He also shoots 25.9 percent from the field and 25 percent from three.</p><p>“I can’t rush back as much as I desire to, and as much as the team wants me back, I have to trust the medical staff,” Middleton <a href="https://andscape.com/features/milwaukee-bucks-forward-khris-middleton-faces-challenges-in-return-to-court/" rel="noopener">said in an interview</a>. “I can’t simply return and act like a hero. We are a team, and regardless of who’s on the floor, we must have faith in each other. I kept that perspective to avoid pressure on myself and ensure I rest appropriately.”</p><p>Having Middleton healthy for most of the season should help the Bucks get past that point if they return to postseason ball. However, Middleton and Milwaukee can only get to that point for Middleton to play for the Bucks. So, the answer to whether Khris Middleton will play against the Cavs tonight is probably yes. These on-court chances are critical for Middleton to regain his form and help Milwaukee return to the NBA Finals. So, unless his illness is worse, Middleton will be available when the Bucks face the Cavs.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Is Khris Middleton playing vs. Cavs after missing NBA Cup Final?

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/bucks-news-khris-middleton-doubtful-nba-cup-title-game-vs-thunder');   ga('set', 'title', 'Khris Middleton doubtful for Bucks’ NBA Cup title game vs. Thunder');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Bucks-news-Khris-Middleton-doubtful-for-NBA-Cup-title-game-vs.jpg"></figure><h1>Khris Middleton doubtful for Bucks’ NBA Cup title game vs. Thunder</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-17T14:28:06-08:00">December 17th, 2:28pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-17T15:47:04-08:00">December 17th, 3:47pm</time><address><a>Matty Breisch</a>Matty Breisch is a multifaceted writer who specializes in NFL and WWE content at ClutchPoints. He can be read at Heavy, FanSided, Philadelphia Sports Network, and right here at ClutchPoints. Are you ready to read about football and wrestling? Well, you've come to the right place.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Milwaukee Bucks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Update: Khris Middleton has been<a href="https://x.com/brettsiegelnba/status/1869166772391428599?s=46&amp;t=vnLDgTn4yNZudl1UzUUjJA" rel="noopener"> downgraded to out</a> for the NBA Cup title game, according to ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel.</p><p>As the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-vs-thunder-prediction-odds-pick-for-2024-nba-cup-final">Milwaukee Bucks prepare to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder</a> in the<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/thunder-vs-bucks-how-to-watch-nba-cup-championship-game"> NBA Cup title game</a>, the status of star wing Khris Middleton has taken a turn for the worse, <a href="https://x.com/BrettSiegelNBA/status/1869144428180545834" rel="noopener">going from questionable to doubtful</a> for the game after missing practice on Monday with an illness.</p><p>After missing the first 21 games of the 2024 season, Middleton has been back on the court for the Bucks <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/middlkh01/gamelog/2025" rel="noopener">since December 6th</a>, when he played 23 minutes against the Boston Celtics. Though he largely worked his minutes on a pitch count for Milwaukee since, playing between 19-23 minutes in each of his games, Middleton’s play was up-and-down overall, finishing out the run with a +18 plus/minus while scoring just 28 points on 7-27 shooting from the field.</p><p>If Middleton can play in the NBA Cup Finals, he will likely come off the bench for the Bucks, with the team starting a backcourt of Damian Lillard and Andre Jackson Jr. with Brook Lopez, Taurean Prince, and Giannis Antetokounmpo filling out the starting five just like they did against the Atlanta Hawks in the Semifinals. While that could change somewhat, with Gary Trent Jr. potentially available to play at either the two or the three spot if need be, it’s safe to assume the former Toronto Raptor player will have to play a big role in the game regardless of when he first takes the court, as he’s one of the better two-way players the Bucks can deploy against the Thunders’ legion of big wings and long guards who have made waves through the NBA Cup tournament.</p><p>Can the Bucks still get where they want to be and secure the first major win of the Doc Rivers era without Middleton playing 20-ish minutes of action? Only time will tell, but if he can’t go, it does make things a little harder under the Las Vegas lights, as this OKC team just has so many ways to attack opposing teams.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Khris Middleton doubtful for Bucks’ NBA Cup title game vs. Thunder

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/bucks-news-giannis-antetokounmpo-khris-middleton-nba-cup-injury-updates-hawks');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton NBA Cup injury updates vs. Hawks');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Bucks-news-Giannis-Antetokounmpo-Khris-Middleton-NBA-Cup-injury-updates-vs.jpg"></figure><h1>Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton NBA Cup injury updates vs. Hawks</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-14T07:31:06-08:00">December 14th, 7:31am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-14T07:42:17-08:00">December 14th, 7:42am</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Milwaukee Bucks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/hawks-vs-bucks-nba-cup-results-according-to-nba-2k25">Milwaukee Bucks will play the Atlanta Hawks</a> in the NBA Cup Semifinals on Saturday in Las Vegas. Milwaukee is looking to advance to the Finals, but will two of their best players be available for the game? Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton are <a href="https://ak-static.cms.nba.com/referee/injury/Injury-Report_2024-12-14_09AM.pdf">both listed</a> on the NBA injury report.</p><p>Antetokounmpo is dealing with right patella tendinopathy. Middleton is listed on the injury report with bilateral ankle surgery as he continues to recover. The Bucks defeated the Orlando Magic 114-109 in the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup on Tuesday. Giannis led the Bucks with 37 points, seven rebounds and four blocks. Middleton was limited to just 20 minutes off the bench, as he did not score a point <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-khris-middleton-stamps-impact-nba-cup-win-despite-scoreless-night">but added eight assists, four rebounds and three steals in the Bucks’ victory</a>.</p><p>The Hawks also have a number of players listed on the injury report. Injuries could play a big role in impacting the game. For the Bucks, the only player aside from Antetokounmpo and Middleton on the injury report is MarJon Beauchamp, who is dealing with left hamstring tendinopathy.</p><p>Here’s everything we know about the Bucks players’ injury statuses for tonight’s game vs. the Hawks.</p><p><b><i>*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (</i></b><a href="https://www.fubo.tv/lp/nba/?irad=356361&amp;irmp=492408" rel="noopener sponsored"><b><i>Get Access | Save $30</i></b></a><i>)</i><b><i>*</i></b></p><h2><b>Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton injury statuses for Hawks vs. Bucks NBA Cup game</b></h2><p>Antetokounmpo, Middleton and Beauchamp are all currently listed as probable.</p><p>Antetokounmpo is playing at an MVP level once again during the 2024-25 campaign. He is averaging 32.7 points per game on 61.2 percent field goal shooting. Giannis is also averaging 11.4 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 1.5 blocks per outing.</p><p>He has been able to play in 22 of the Bucks’ 24 games up to this point as well.</p><p>Middleton has been limited to only three games played this season. He is averaging 7.3 points, 6.3 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game while recording 21 minutes per outing.</p><p>Middleton will see an increase in minutes as he continues to play in more games. The Bucks do not want to rush him back into a heavy workload, though.</p><p>As for the question of if Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton are playing tonight vs. the Hawks, the answer is probably.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton NBA Cup injury updates vs. Hawks

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/bucks-news-khris-middleton-stamps-impact-nba-cup-win-despite-scoreless-night');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bucks’ Khris Middleton stamps impact on NBA Cup win despite scoreless night');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Maestro-Khris-Middleton-stamps-outsized-impact-on-Milwaukee-Bucks-NBA-Cup-win-despite-scoreless-night.jpg"></figure><h1>Bucks’ Khris Middleton stamps impact on NBA Cup win despite scoreless night</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-11T06:56:55-08:00">December 11th, 6:56am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-11T06:56:55-08:00">December 11th, 6:56am</time><address><a>Dan Simmons</a>Dan Simmons covers the Milwaukee Bucks for ClutchPoints. He lives a short bike ride away from Fiserv Forum with his wife and daughter. His favorite jersey number is 34, owing to his Minnesota childhood idol, Kirby Puckett, and of course the Greek Freak.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Milwaukee Bucks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>MILWAUKEE — Khris Middleton has built his legacy as a scorer who’s equally adept at bombing from long range or banking in turnaround daggers from midrange. In the Milwaukee Bucks’ thrilling 114-109 victory <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-giannis-antetokounmpo-unfinished-business-nba-cup-win-vs-magic">over the Orlando Magic</a> on Tuesday to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-warriors-headline-nba-cup-knockout-round-siegels-scoop">secure a 5-0 record in NBA Cup games</a> and a weekend trip to Las Vegas, Middleton managed 0 points on just two shot attempts and no trips to the free-throw line in 20 minutes of play.</p><p>But he more than compensated with an array of assists, steals, hustle plays, and one timely charge, enough to leave his teammates and coaches gushing despite the goose egg in the scoring column.</p><p>“It’s not always a numbers thing,” said Damian Lillard, who closed out the game with a three-pointer and lay-up in the final minute that proved to be decisive. Lillard pointed to a “presence” and a basketball intelligence that Middleton brought to the game as crucial to their win.</p><p>“I felt it,” Lillard said. “I mean you could feel him on the floor.”</p><p>Perhaps no one felt Middleton’s presence more than Giannis Antetokounmpo, who converted 7 Middleton passes — Middleton had 8 total assists — into easy buckets down low. Tuesday’s win-or-stay-home game showed the pair’s NBA marriage is like any other long marriage — some ribbing about how old the other is and occasional gripes but also an on-court connection that borders on the telepathic.</p><p>“Him and Giannis have such a great chemistry,” said coach Doc Rivers. “It’s just fantastic.”</p><p>When Middleton first checked in late in the first quarter, he dribbled left at the top of the key, crossing paths with Antetokounmpo just outside the three-point line. Their defenders got tangled briefly, allowing Middleton to hit his teammate rolling to the rim on the right side of the lane for an easy dunk. Minutes later, same story: Middleton, ball in hand on the perimeter, beyond the arc, dribbled left around a Brook Lopez screen before hitting a rim-running Giannis on the left side of the lane. Easy flush. The pattern repeated itself throughout the game.</p><p>Middleton is on a minutes restriction as he eases his way back into game shape. But Rivers played him at the end of each quarter, and the veteran consistently made winning plays without scoring. Just before halftime, with the Bucks down by a point, the often-injured Middleton without hesitation stepped in front of a driving Magic player in the lane, earning a charge and giving the Bucks a final possession with 8 seconds left. That resulted in a thunderous dunk by Antetokounmpo off a dish from Lillard to send them into halftime leading by a point.</p><p>Next up: an NBA Cup <a href="https://www.nba.com/nba-cup/2024?cid=nba:paid:sem:pmax:other:na:dom:t-dtcacq:mtlr-1592_1:::::&amp;utm_medium=paid_search&amp;utm_source=pmax_na&amp;utm_campaign=other_not-applicable&amp;utm_content=nba:paid:sem:pmax:other:na:dom:t-dtcacq:mtlr-1592_1:::::&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gclid=CjwKCAiAjeW6BhBAEiwAdKltMvyubc7BxrZ0Yc7c2zx54XK52iaLQF3nPf3jspcQhZ-YFBVLxkkTkRoCjRAQAvD_BwE" rel="noopener">semifinal game in Las Vegas</a> on Saturday.</p><p>“We want to win the Cup, you know,” Rivers said on Tuesday. “We’ve said it upfront and and that’s what we’re going to try to do.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bucks’ Khris Middleton stamps impact on NBA Cup win despite scoreless night

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/bucks-news-giannis-antetokounmpo-khris-middleton-optimistic-injury-updates-nba-cup-vs-magic');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton optimistic injury updates for NBA Cup vs. Magic');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Giannis-Antetokounmpo-Khris-Middleton-optimistic-injury-updates-for-NBA-Cup-vs.-Magic.jpg"></figure><h1>Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton optimistic injury updates for NBA Cup vs. Magic</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-09T20:15:17-08:00">December 9th, 8:15pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-09T20:15:17-08:00">December 9th, 8:15pm</time><address><a>Chris Dodson</a>Chris Dodson is a Memphis Grizzlies beat reporter for ClutchPoints who has also covered the New Orleans Pelicans. He has covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for over a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, his gumbo-stirring form matches his elbow jumper celebrations. Fast enough for varsity hoops, tall enough for a soccer scholarship. He has words and will travel, just not on the court.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Milwaukee Bucks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-bucks-bobby-portis-silences-doc-rivers-haters">Milwaukee Bucks are silencing the skeptics</a> after a slow start and are one win away from a Sin City trip. A win over the Orlando Magic in the NBA Cup quarterfinals would secure a spot in the Las Vegas-based Final Four. Thankfully, the <a href="https://x.com/Bucks/status/1866248895661052093" rel="noopener">most recent injury updates</a> on Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton are very encouraging.</p><p>Antetokounmpo (Right Patella Tendinopathy), Middleton (Bilateral Ankle Surgery), and MarJon Beauchamp (Left Hamstring Tendinopathy) were upgraded to probable by the Bucks. Chris Livingston (Left Ankle Sprain) is still unavailable but Doc Rivers should have enough to work with against a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/magic-news-orlando-players-who-must-step-up-after-franz-wagner-injury">misfiring Magic squad missing two All-Stars</a>.</p><p>Unfortunately for hoops fans hoping for a postseason preview on TNT, the Magic’s rotations will be missing Paola Banchero and Franz Wagner. The winner of the Milwaukee versus Orlando matchup will face either the New York Knicks or Atlanta Hawks in the NBA Cup semifinals on December 14.</p><p>The Bucks are benefitting from another <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-giannis-antetokounmpo-mvp-tears">Giannis Antetokounmpo for NBA MVP campaign</a> going into the holiday season. The 30-year-old is carrying the Bucks (12-11) back into contention while averaging 32.6 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game. Antetokounmpo is shooting 61.1% from the field and Milwaukee (6th) is making a run up the Eastern Conference standings.</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Giannis-passes-Bucks.jpg"><figcaption>John Jones-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Bucks locked up a spot in the NBA’s newest elimination bracket thanks to Antetokounmpo’s spectacular 34 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, three blocks, and one steal performance against the Brooklyn Nets. Middleton helped out with 11 points and six assists. A win over the Magic (17-9) would move Milwaukee another game closer to a top-four seed.</p><p>Middleton (33% 3PA) is trying to recreate some championship magic after suffering through two ankle surgeries. Rehabbing was not easy for the now 33-year-old averaging 11 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists in two games played. He has averaged approximately 15 points, 4.5 rebounds, and five assists over the last two seasons (88 games played). The Bucks will need the three-time All-Star to settle in soon to have a chance at bringing home a new trophy.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton optimistic injury updates for NBA Cup vs. Magic

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/bucks-giannis-antetokounmpo-khris-middleton-expected-to-play-vs-celtics');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton expected to play vs. Celtics');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/0Giannis-Antetokounmpo-Khris-Middleton-expected-to-play-vs.-Celtics0.jpg"></figure><h1>Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton expected to play vs. Celtics</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-06T10:21:12-08:00">December 6th, 10:21am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-06T10:21:12-08:00">December 6th, 10:21am</time><address><a>Brett Siegel</a>Brett Siegel joined ClutchPoints as a credentialed NBA insider and reporter in May 2023 after previously covering the NBA for Fastbreak on FanNation and NBA Analysis Network, as well as working with Louisville Basketball. From playing to coaching to covering the game as a media member, Brett has been involved with the game of basketball from many different perspectives. Breaking the news of various free agent signings, yearly NBA Draft news and other key stories around the league, Brett is always on the phone, getting the latest news and rumors around the NBA. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @BrettSiegelNBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Milwaukee Bucks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Before a 119-104 home loss on Wednesday night against the Atlanta Hawks, the Milwaukee Bucks were rolling on a seven-game win streak. Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks have been one of the hottest teams in the NBA lately, and they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-warriors-headline-nba-cup-knockout-round-siegels-scoop">recently clinched a spot in the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup</a>. Ahead of what will be their toughest challenge of the season against the Boston Celtics on Friday night, both Antetokounmpo and star wing Khris Middleton find themselves on the injury report.</p><p>Not only does Friday mark Giannis’ 30th birthday, but it is also a celebration for the Bucks because <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-khris-middleton-season-debut-vs-celtics">Middleton will make his season debut.</a> Although both players are still listed as probable to play on the injury report Antetokounmpo and Middleton will be on the court for the Bucks barring an unforeseen setback.</p><p>Antetokounmpo has been dealing with right patella tendinopathy for weeks, but he has played in 19 of the team’s 21 games this season. Middleton has been a different story for Milwaukee, as he has yet to play this year.</p><p>After <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-khris-middleton-undergoes-2-ankle-surgeries">undergoing offseason surgery on both of his ankles</a>, Middleton was expected to resume on-court activities during training camp and be ready for the start of the 2024-25 season. That never occurred, as soreness and pain continued to limit what the three-time All-Star could do. It wasn’t until after the first month of the season that Middleton finally got on the practice court with his team before being cleared to practice in 5-on-5 situations.</p><p>While it is not official until Middleton is listed as available on the <a href="https://ak-static.cms.nba.com/referee/injury/Injury-Report_2024-12-06_12PM.pdf" rel="noopener">injury report</a>, the <a href="https://x.com/Bucks/status/1865080472369332645" rel="noopener">Bucks released a video on social media</a> Friday afternoon to welcome the star forward back.</p><p>“Uh oh. That walk right there? You know he’s ready,” Antetokounmpo said in the video tribute the team released which ends by saying “Khash Money is back!”</p><p>This could not be a better time for Middleton to return to the court for Milwaukee. Currently 11-10 on the season, the Bucks are finally over .500 since winning their first game against the Philadelphia 76ers. A potential win on the road against the Celtics could go a long way in continuing to build the Bucks’ confidence, especially ahead of their NBA Cup quarterfinal game against the Orlando Magic on Tuesday.</p><p>The Bucks will provide firmer injury updates for Antetokounmpo and Middleton ahead of Friday night’s game, but both stars will be on the court next to Damian Lillard in Boston.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton expected to play vs. Celtics

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/bucks-news-khris-middleton-season-debut-vs-celtics');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bucks’ Khris Middleton to make season debut vs. Celtics');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Bucks-news-Khris-Middleton-to-make-season-debut-vs.jpg"></figure><h1>Bucks’ Khris Middleton to make season debut vs. Celtics</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-05T07:43:21-08:00">December 5th, 7:43am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-05T07:56:47-08:00">December 5th, 7:56am</time><address><a>Brett Siegel</a>Brett Siegel joined ClutchPoints as a credentialed NBA insider and reporter in May 2023 after previously covering the NBA for Fastbreak on FanNation and NBA Analysis Network, as well as working with Louisville Basketball. From playing to coaching to covering the game as a media member, Brett has been involved with the game of basketball from many different perspectives. Breaking the news of various free agent signings, yearly NBA Draft news and other key stories around the league, Brett is always on the phone, getting the latest news and rumors around the NBA. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @BrettSiegelNBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Milwaukee Bucks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Milwaukee Bucks All-Star forward Khris Middleton is <a href="https://x.com/BobbyMarks42/status/1864693559535784077" rel="noopener">set to return and make his season debut</a> against the Boston Celtics on Friday night, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Khris Middleton will make his season debut tomorrow night against the Celtics, per <a href="https://twitter.com/BobbyMarks42?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BobbyMarks42</a>.</p><p>The Bucks forward was sidelined at the beginning of the season due to multiple ankle surgeries. <a href="https://t.co/lUe9dGxZBG">pic.twitter.com/lUe9dGxZBG</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1864694205466972598?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Middleton has not played at all during the 2024-25 season due to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-khris-middleton-undergoes-2-ankle-surgeries">undergoing surgery on both ankles this past offseason</a>. Originally said to be ready for the start of the season, Middleton’s return was delayed significantly due to setbacks and consistent pain pertaining to his ankle injuries.</p><p>After <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-khris-middleton-verge-returning-injury-amid-struggles">recently ramping up his individual activities in the middle of November</a>, Middleton was cleared for 5-on-5 play over the last week and has <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-khris-middleton-major-step-toward-injury-return">participated in scrimmages during practice</a> with the Bucks. With Middleton feeling 100 percent healthy again, he will take the court for the first time in seven months when Milwaukee hits the road to take on the Celtics.</p><p>In 11 seasons with the Bucks, Middleton has averaged 17.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.1 assists in 712 games. He has made the All-Star Game three different times during his tenure with Milwaukee and was instrumental in their championship run in 2021.</p><p>Although the Bucks got off to a rough start this season without Middleton on the court, they have been one of the hottest teams in the league since. Milwaukee has won nine of its last 11 games and was on a seven-game win streak prior to Wednesday night’s 119-104 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. The Bucks are now 11-10 on the season and two full games back of the New York Knicks for fourth place in the Eastern Conference.</p><p>Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard have been the driving forces of this team’s success in recent weeks, as <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-mvp-mondays-24-25-nikola-jokic-leads-giannis-antetokounmpo-jayson-tatum">Giannis has solidified himself as a favorite for the league’s MVP award</a>.</p><p>Middleton returning to the lineup for the Bucks provides this team with a sense of comfort on the wing, something they haven’t had all season. Even with Taurean Prince leading the league in three-point shooting percentage, the Bucks have received minimal offensive production out on the wing. While it will take time for him to ease himself back, Middleton’s presence should have a positive impact on Antetokounmpo, Lillard, and the Bucks’ offense as a whole.</p><p>It is expected that Middleton will see a strict minutes restriction against Boston on Friday night and in Milwaukee’s next several games.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-doc-rivers-strong-nba-cup-statement-crushing-pistons">Bucks went 4-0 in NBA Cup group play</a> and will play the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night in Milwaukee with a trip to Las Vegas on the line. Middleton will be a key upgrade for the Bucks in their quest to win the NBA Cup.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bucks’ Khris Middleton to make season debut vs. Celtics

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/bucks-news-khris-middleton-major-step-toward-injury-return');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bucks’ Khris Middleton takes major step toward injury return');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Khris-Middleton-fires-back-at-injury-prone-label.jpg"></figure><h1>Bucks’ Khris Middleton takes major step toward injury return</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-26T13:06:59-08:00">November 26th, 1:06pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-26T13:17:27-08:00">November 26th, 1:17pm</time><address><a>Brett Siegel</a>Brett Siegel joined ClutchPoints as a credentialed NBA insider and reporter in May 2023 after previously covering the NBA for Fastbreak on FanNation and NBA Analysis Network, as well as working with Louisville Basketball. From playing to coaching to covering the game as a media member, Brett has been involved with the game of basketball from many different perspectives. Breaking the news of various free agent signings, yearly NBA Draft news and other key stories around the league, Brett is always on the phone, getting the latest news and rumors around the NBA. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @BrettSiegelNBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Milwaukee Bucks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Milwaukee Bucks All-Star forward Khris Middleton continues to progress from offseason ankle surgeries, and he has taken the <a href="https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1861514072178499706" rel="noopener">next step in his return-to-play process</a> by recently completing a five-on-five scrimmage with the team on Monday in Miami, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.</p><p>Middleton, who has been cleared medically to play, is still working his way back physically and wanting to make the maximum impact possible before returning to the court. The Bucks are hopeful that the veteran will be able to make his season debut in the week after Thanksgiving.</p><p>Being able to participate in 5-on-5 scrimmages was one of the final steps in Middleton’s recovery process, as he will likely do so once more before letting head coach Doc Rivers and the team’s medical staff know that he is ready to take the court in a real game.</p><p>Throughout the month of November, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/why-its-too-early-panic-about-bucks-76ers-siegels-scoop">Middleton had been ramping up his individual activities</a>, with the goal being to get back on the practice court in scrimmages with the team around the time of Thanksgiving, league sources told ClutchPoints. This goal has been achieved, and the Bucks now await further word as to when Middleton will be ready to make his season debut.</p><p>After dealing with ankle discomfort throughout the 2023-24 season, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-khris-middleton-undergoes-2-ankle-surgeries">Middleton elected to undergo surgery on both ankles</a> during the summer. While the expectation was that the three-time All-Star would be ready for the start of the 2024-25 season, Middleton suffered some setbacks due to the consistent discomfort he was still having.</p><p>While it took longer than anticipated, the Bucks should be getting Middleton back on the court in meaningful games with the holiday season approaching.</p><p>So far, the 2024-25 season has been a journey for the Bucks, to say the least. Milwaukee started the year with just two wins through their first 10 games, leading to the notion that all was falling apart for this organization. Since then, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard have led the Bucks to wins in six of their last seven games, including four straight.</p><p>In this span, Antetokounmpo has averaged 33.4 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game while shooting 60.8 percent from the floor. As a result, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-mvp-mondays-24-25-giannis-antetokounmpo-charges-back-into-race">Giannis finds himself moving up the league’s MVP rankings</a>.</p><p>The Bucks still believe that they are a championship-contending team in the Eastern Conference, but Middleton has been their missing piece. He was critical to the team capturing their second title in team history during the 2020-21 season, and Milwaukee will once again need Middleton to step up next to the two superstars on this roster in order for the Bucks to have any shot at winning the East.</p><p>Further updates on Middleton’s potential season debut will likely be given by the team at the end of the week.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bucks’ Khris Middleton takes major step toward injury return

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/bucks-news-khris-middleton-medically-cleared-season-debut-unclear');   ga('set', 'title', 'Khris Middleton ‘medically cleared’ but season debut remains unclear');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Khris-Middleton-medically-cleared-but-season-debut-remins-unclear.jpg"></figure><h1>Khris Middleton ‘medically cleared’ but season debut remains unclear</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-20T16:39:41-08:00">November 20th, 4:39pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-20T16:39:41-08:00">November 20th, 4:39pm</time><address><a>David Yapkowitz</a>David Yapkowitz is an NBA Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a credentialed reporter based in Los Angeles who covers the NBA/WNBA, NCAA/NCAAW and boys/girls high school basketball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Milwaukee Bucks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Milwaukee Bucks have been one of the biggest disappointments of the 2024-25 season so far. They’re near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings and things don’t look like they’re getting better any time soon. But there could be help on the horizon for the Bucks in the form of Khris Middleton who has been out due to injury recovery.</p><p>Khris Middleton has yet to make his 2024-25 Bucks’ debut as he rehabs from an ankle injury. But he <a href="https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1859388030467047425" rel="noopener">has been medically cleared</a>, and it’s become an issue of pain tolerance as per Shams Charania of ESPN.</p><p>Middleton has undergone multiple ankle surgeries and is not quite physically ready to resume play. The Bucks’ had hoped that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/why-its-too-early-panic-about-bucks-76ers-siegels-scoop">Middleton would be ready</a> for the beginning of the season, but that soon changed to Thanksgiving as being a possible target date, as per ClutchPoints’ NBA insider Brett Siegel.</p><p>Last season, Middleton was limited to only 55 games as he dealt with the injury bug. He averaged 15.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists with splits of 49.3 percent shooting from the field, 38.1 percent shooting from the three-point line and 83.3 percent shooting from the free-throw line.</p><p>Amid injuries to Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, Middleton suited up in all six of the Bucks’ playoff games during their first round loss to the Indiana Pacers. During the playoffs, he averaged 24.7 points, 9.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists with splits of 48.2 percent shooting from the field, 35.5 percent shooting from the three-point line and 90 percent shooting from the free-throw line.</p><p>Middleton’s initial ankle surgery occurred in April right after the Bucks’ playoff loss. His second surgery occurred in June on his other ankle.</p><p>The Bucks have gotten off to a 5-9 start this season. They hired Doc Rivers last year after dismissing Adrian Griffin who started out the 2023-24 season at 30-13. There is obviously time for the Bucks to turn things around, but it’s got to start soon.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Khris Middleton ‘medically cleared’ but season debut remains unclear

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/bucks-news-damian-lillard-khris-middleton-injury-2-stories');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bucks’ Damian Lillard, Khris Middleton injury updates tell 2 different stories');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Damian-Lillard-Khris-Middleton-injury-updates-tell-2-different-stories.jpg"></figure><h1>Bucks’ Damian Lillard, Khris Middleton injury updates tell 2 different stories</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-14T16:01:42-08:00">November 14th, 4:01pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-14T16:01:42-08:00">November 14th, 4:01pm</time><address><a>Christopher Smith</a>Christopher Smith is an associate editor covering a variety of sports with a beat focus on the Chicago Sky for ClutchPoints. The Aurora, Illinois native earned a degree in philosophy from Creighton University, where he also competed as a Division 1 Cross Country runner.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Milwaukee Bucks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Milwaukee Bucks are riding the high of a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-giannis-scores-59-vs-pistons-fights-back-tears-amid-mvp-chants">thrilling overtime win over the Detroit Pistons</a>. The cold streak-snapping victory was spearheaded by a 59-point performance from Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, Antetokounmpo’s help for Milwaukee’s Nov. 16 matchup against the Charlotte Hornets has received a mixed bag of injury updates centered around Damian Lillard and Khris Middleton.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-damian-lillard-ruled-out-raptors-game-concerning-injury">Lillard was ruled out of the Bucks’ Nov. 12  Raptors game</a> due to concussion protocol and has since been recovering. There is hope that by Saturday’s Hornets game, Lillard <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1857183567174148451" rel="noopener">could be cleared</a> from protocol, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Thursday.</p><p>However, Middleton’s update tells a different story.</p><p>“The big worry in Milwaukee is Khris Middleton. His absence has been deafening for this team. He’s supposed to be your third star. He’s supposed to be the guy that when one of those other stars are struggling, he’s going to be the one to step up, and he has not even progressed to five-on-five yet. [The Bucks] are not sure exactly when he’s going to go to five-on-five,” Charania added.</p><p>“[Middleton’s] absence essentially has been much longer than team officials have anticipated. But they are hopeful here over the next couple of weeks, get him on a couple five-on-fives and, and hopefully he can progress to a return.”</p><p>Middleton has yet to make his 2024-25 Bucks debut. During the 2023-24 season, the veteran forward averaged 15.1 points, 5.3 assists, and 4.7 rebounds on a 38.1 percent three-point shooting clip.</p><p>As Charania mentioned, Middleton adds a unique dynamic to Milwauuee’s offense as another reliable option. Hopefully, he can continue to progress to getting back on the court alongside Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo.</p><p>The Bucks have struggled early on in the season, but once their stars are fully healthy, there is a strong chance they could go on a run and climb back toward the top of the Eastern Conference.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bucks’ Damian Lillard, Khris Middleton injury updates tell 2 different stories

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/bucks-news-khris-middleton-clearer-injury-return-update');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bucks’ Khris Middleton gets clearer injury return update');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Bucks-news-Khris-Middleton-gets-clearer-injury-return-update.jpg"></figure><h1>Bucks’ Khris Middleton gets clearer injury return update</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-08T10:44:35-08:00">November 8th, 10:44am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-08T10:44:35-08:00">November 8th, 10:44am</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Milwaukee Bucks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After head coach Doc Rivers tinkered with his starting lineup before snapping a six-game losing streak in a 123-100 win against the Utah Jazz, the Milwaukee Bucks are one step closer to having this starting shooting guard back. Bucks veteran <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/players/af6e0952/khris-middleton">Khris Middleton’s latest injury update is concerning</a>, per ClutchPoint’s Brett Siegel.</p><p>“For those of you who are looking for a Khris Middleton update: he has been working hard behind the scenes to get up to a level where he is pain-free, league sources told ClutchPoints. Middleton is still dealing with discomfort from his offseason ankle surgeries, which has prolonged his absence to begin the year,” Siegel reported. “Initially expected to be ready for the start of the 2024-25 season, there is now hope that the Bucks All-Star will be able to make his season debut sometime around Thanksgiving, but there is truly no timetable in Milwaukee because this is now a pain-tolerance issue.</p><p>“He won’t return until he has practiced 5-on-5 for days, which Middleton has not done at all to this point,” Siegel concluded.</p><p>After undergoing more than one ankle surgery, many anticipated Middleton to be closer to having a return date. The notion that he’s still in pain two weeks into the regular season after being sidelined since earlier this year makes many wonder what’s possibly next for the 2021 Bucks champion guard.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-giannis-antetokounmpo-drops-truth-bomb-triumphant-lineup-change">Rivers inserting Andre Jackson Jr. against the Jazz</a> was a success but said he wouldn’t commit to it long-term. Bucks guard Khris Middelton, the three-time All-Star is sorely missed and when Rivers delivers <a href="https://x.com/eric_nehm/status/1854234879028056453" rel="noopener">updates</a> on him, there rather vague without a concrete date set in stone.</p><p>“We’re not worried about the games with (getting Middleton) the 5-on-5,” Rivers said, per The Athletic’s Eric Nehm. “Tomorrow, I know, is a game day, and we’re going to do 3-on-3 with Khris live. And players will be involved in that, so that’s not our concern.”</p><h2><b>Giannis Antetokounmpo drops truth bomb on Bucks’ lineup change</b></h2><p>Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo was a fan of Doc Rivers’ decision to give Bucks’ second-year guard Andre Jackson Jr. the nod in his starting lineup, and the second-round pick didn’t dissapoint.</p><p>Antetokounmpo commended Jackson Jr.’s performance.</p><p>“He brings energy,” Antetokounmpo said. “He plays his ass off, guards the best player. We play faster. He was incredible today. We definitely need that. We need that spark. We need to play with that energy.”</p><p>Jackson Jr. finished with seven points, four assists, and four steals as the Bucks snapped a six-game losing streak.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bucks’ Khris Middleton gets clearer injury return update

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/bucks-news-khris-middleton-injury-update-milwaukee-2024-25-season');   ga('set', 'title', 'Khris Middleton gets discouraging injury update amid Bucks’ brutal start to season');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Bucks-Khris-Middleton-remains-cryptic-on-plan-to-manage-return-from-offseason-surgeries.jpg"></figure><h1>Khris Middleton gets discouraging injury update amid Bucks’ brutal start to season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-05T13:00:11-08:00">November 5th, 1:00pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-05T13:14:02-08:00">November 5th, 1:14pm</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Milwaukee Bucks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Milwaukee Bucks were defeated 116-114 by the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday. Milwaukee now holds a forgettable 1-6 record to begin the 2024-25 season. The Bucks received more bad news on Tuesday, as Shams Charania <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1853900829746466907" rel="noopener">revealed a discouraging</a> Khris Middleton injury update while speaking on ESPN, via ClutchPoints.</p><p>“It’s still uncertain when he (Middleton) is going to be back,” Charania said. “He has yet to be cleared to my knowledge for 5-on-5 scrimmaging.”</p><p>Middleton’s absence has been far from ideal for a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-gilbert-arenas-drops-doc-rivers-truth-bomb-failures-with-milwaukee">Bucks team that is struggling</a>. Milwaukee entered the season with high expectations, but right now they do not even look like a play-in team.</p><p>Can the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-doc-rivers-playoff-guarantee-brutal-1-6-start">Bucks turn things around</a>? Of course, but they need to get back on track quickly. Middleton’s absence will not help in that regard, as he is missed without question. It remains uncertain as to when Middleton may return to the Bucks.</p><p>Middleton is an All-Star caliber player when healthy. The three-time All-Star has unfortunately dealt with injury concerns over the past couple of seasons. He was limited to 33 games during the 2022-23 season and 55 games in 2023-24. Middleton has yet to play in 2024-25.</p><p>It goes without saying, but the Bucks need Middleton on the floor. They are struggling to take care of business on the defensive end of the floor. The offense has endured its share of ups and downs. Still, the Bucks expect a much more consistent offensive effort, something that has been difficult to accomplish without Middleton.</p><p>As mentioned earlier, there is still time for Milwaukee to get back on track. After all, they have only played seven games so far this season. If their struggles continue, though, the Bucks may need to begin a rebuild.</p><p>Meanwhile, we will continue to monitor and provide updates on Khris Middleton’s injury status as they are made available.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Khris Middleton gets discouraging injury update amid Bucks’ brutal start to season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/bucks-news-khris-middleton-verge-returning-injury-amid-struggles');   ga('set', 'title', 'Khris Middleton on verge of injury return amid Bucks’ struggles');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/THUMB-10_cea29e.jpg"></figure><h1>Khris Middleton on verge of injury return amid Bucks’ struggles</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-31T08:48:05-07:00">October 31st, 8:48am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-31T08:48:05-07:00">October 31st, 8:48am</time><address><a>Brett Siegel</a>Brett Siegel joined ClutchPoints as a credentialed NBA insider and reporter in May 2023 after previously covering the NBA for Fastbreak on FanNation and NBA Analysis Network, as well as working with Louisville Basketball. From playing to coaching to covering the game as a media member, Brett has been involved with the game of basketball from many different perspectives. Breaking the news of various free agent signings, yearly NBA Draft news and other key stories around the league, Brett is always on the phone, getting the latest news and rumors around the NBA. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @BrettSiegelNBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Milwaukee Bucks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The 2024-25 season has not been kind to the Milwaukee Bucks thus far. Aside from their 1-3 start with three straight losses and a lack of intensity, the Bucks have also been playing without All-Star wing Khris Middleton. This offseason, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-khris-middleton-undergoes-2-ankle-surgeries">Middleton underwent procedures on both of his ankles</a> to address long-running injury concerns, and he has yet to make his season debut. As a result, the question of when Middleton will return to the floor has been prominent in Milwaukee.</p><p>After barely practicing in the preseason and not participating in any of the team’s preseason games, it was said that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-khris-middleton-to-miss-season-opener-amid-ankle-rehab">Middleton would miss the start of the season</a>. However, the Bucks failed to give a timeline on how long he would be out. Every time he has been asked about Middleton, head coach <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-doc-rivers-painfully-honest-khris-middleton-health-status">Doc Rivers has remained positive</a>, stating that the 13-year veteran has been progressing well. Now, with all the noise surrounding this team’s struggles, it seems like they <a href="https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nba/bucks/2024/10/30/milwaukee-bucks-khris-middleton-injury-report-status-updated-wont-play-at-memphis/75924785007/" rel="noopener">could be on the verge</a> of getting the three-time All-Star back.</p><p>“He did a lot today,” Rivers said on Wednesday afternoon, according to Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “A whole lot. Stayed out on the floor with our guys. So, he’s getting close.”</p><p>Although Rivers failed to lay out a clear timeline for Middleton’s return from his ankle injuries, the head coach’s optimism did express that a return is right around the corner.</p><h2><b>Bucks need Khris Middleton back to find success</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Khris-Middleton-hands-on-hips.jpg"><figcaption>Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>A road loss on Monday to the Boston Celtics is excusable for the Bucks, as that is the team everyone in the NBA is chasing this season. But losses to the Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets are definitely setbacks for this organization given that neither the Bulls nor the Nets are contending for anything this season. If the Bucks are to be true championship contenders, they can’t be dropping these games, especially with their defensive effort not existing.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-why-giannis-antetokounmpo-doesnt-care-awful-record-start-season">Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard can only do so much</a> for this team, which is why Middleton’s presence is vital.</p><p>While it is unknown what he will look like coming back from his ankle injuries and surgeries, Middleton’s return alone creates more flexibility and ease in the Bucks’ nightly rotations. On offense, he is a player that can average 20 points per game and hit timely shots from the perimeter. On defense, Middleton has always been known to be a stout on-ball defender against some of the best wings in the NBA.</p><p>At first, his defensive abilities may look slower and rusty, but Middleton needs to be on the court in order for Milwaukee to be the elite-level two-way team that they have proven to be in the past. Without him, the Bucks have been nothing but a disappointment and a team heading in the direction of complete collapse.</p><p>Only four games have been played. It may be too early to write the Bucks off already, yet rumors are swirling about what the future holds for this organization. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-doc-rivers-reason-why-giannis-antetokounmpo-could-force-exit-bucks">Antetokounmpo is hearing his name in trade rumors</a> and how he could potentially ask for a trade if the Bucks fail to meet expectations yet again, which is why Middleton’s injury return could very well steer things in the right direction.</p><p>It is very possible that Middleton will make his return for the Bucks fairly soon with the calendar shifting to November.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
11.6	3.7	5.6	0.3	1.1

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
11.6	3.7	5.6	0.3	1.1

Khris Middleton news

Khris
Middleton news