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Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton will miss at least the remainder of his team’s first round playoff series with the Chicago Bulls with a sprained MCL in his left knee, according to ESPN Adrian Wojnarowski. It will be re-evaluated in two weeks.
The Bucks made the news official shortly thereafter:
Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton walked out of last night’s game against Chicago in the fourth period with a left knee injury. which confirmed the diagnosis of a sprained left MCL. Middleton is being treated and evaluated daily with the next status update in approximately two weeks.”
Middleton ended the Bucks’ loss to the Chicago Bulls in Game 2 on Wednesday with the MCL injury. He was eliminated midway through the fourth quarter and did not return as Chicago leveled the streak with a 114-110 away win.
The three-time All-Star previously injured his left knee in December.
Averaging 20.1 points, 5.4 assists and 2.5 threes in 66 appearances during the regular season, he’s a vital cog in Milwaukee’s offensive system.
Pat Connaughton and Grayson Allen are likely to handle most of the extra minutes on the wing when Middleton isn’t in the lineup. Jordan Nwora could also return to the rotation for added depth.
The Bucks went into the playoffs with a real shot at defending their 2020-21 championship. The loss of Middleton for an extended period of the postseason is a major blow to those efforts and puts even more weight on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s shoulders.