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The Milwaukee Bucks lost 114-110 to the Chicago Bulls in Game 2 Wednesday, but worse than that, the Bucks lost two key players in the process. Early in the fourth quarter, forward Khris Middleton left the game with left knee pain after slipping awkwardly in the middle of a spin at the post. Big Man Bobby Portis left the game at halftime afterwards take a shot in the eye in the first quarter of the game.
Both injuries hampered the Bucks on the stretch as they attempted to recover from an 18-point deficit against the Bulls. But Middleton’s injury has far more significance going forward in this series. Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer said after the game that Middleton suffered an MCL sprain and would receive an MRI Thursday for more information.
The results of that imaging confirmed a sprained MCL and Middleton will be reevaluated in two weeks, the Bucks announced Thursday. That schedule will keep him out for the remainder of the first-round series against the Bulls.
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Middleton’s injury is a huge blow to a Bucks team that doesn’t have much depth. That means Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday are being asked to do more on offense, while role players like Wes Matthews and Pat Connaughton need to start hitting shots at a steady rate.
When the injury struck, Middleton was just starting to warm up for the Bucks. After accumulating just three points in the first half, Middleton accumulated 15 points in the second half as he led Milwaukee’s comeback. His exit from the game drained a lot of energy from Milwaukee, and while he managed to cut Chicago’s lead, not having him on the ground was clearly detrimental.
“You feel for him,” Matthews said. “Obviously you feel for him. Khris is a big part of this team, this organization, this city. I’m not sure what the situation is, I’m sure we’ll know more tomorrow. Just keep gathering with him. He’s gonna be there for us. Hopefully it’s not that bad and we still have a job to do. Our goal is to win basketball games and get him back as soon as possible.