Milwaukee Bucks star forward Khris Middleton exited the first quarter of Tuesday’s matchup against the Phoenix Suns after sustaining a left ankle sprain. Per the Bucks, he will not return.
The three-time All-Star suffered the injury after landing on the foot of Suns superstar forward Kevin Durant while attempting a jump shot. Durant didn’t give Middleton any room to land on the play, resulting in him being assessed a Flagrant 1 foul.
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Middleton finishes with six points, three rebounds, one assist, one steal and one 3-pointer on 2-of-3 shooting (66.7%) in eight minutes.
He joins two other Milwaukee starters on the sidelines. The Bucks are also without superstar point guard Damian Lillard (ankle) and starting center Brook Lopez (personal).
The Bucks (33-17) are looking to secure their second win under new coach Doc Rivers. The team is 1-3 under Rivers thus far.
However, being shorthanded, they will likely have to rely extra heavily on superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo to take down a competitive Suns team (29-21).
How has Khris Middleton fared this season?
While Khris Middleton hasn’t played at an All-Star-caliber level this season, he remains the Bucks’ clear-cut third scoring option.
Entering Tuesday, Middleton was averaging 15.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.7 3-pointers per game on 48.6% shooting through 42 games.
It remains to be seen how much time he will miss. However, if he has to miss an extended period, it will likely mark a tough blow for a Bucks squad that is short on quality wing players.
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