MY ACCOUNT
Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer praised Khris Middleton after returning from injury with 23 points and six assists in Wednesday’s 126-106 win over the Houston Rockets.
Middleton had missed the Bucks’ past three games after a knee hyperextension but helped the reigning champions snap a two-game skid.
The Bucks had been missing Middleton along with reigning NBA Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo over their past three games, with the Greek star entering the league’s health and safety protocols last week.
“I thought [Middleton] had a good bounce in practice yesterday,” Budenholzer told reporters. “I think he’s excited to be back and playing and healthy.
“I thought he gives us some confidence. I thought he had a good pop tonight.”
The Bucks had beaten the Indiana Pacers 114-99 without the pair before losses to the New Orleans Pelicans and Cleveland Cavaliers.
Jrue Holiday played a key role alongside Middleton in ending their run of defeats with 24 points, 10 assists and four rebounds.
Eight of Middleton’s 23 points came from the stripe, as he showed intent to get into the paint in Antetokounmpo’s absence.
“I think he felt good and he thought that’s where he could be most effective,” Budenholzer said. “We need some guys to get to the paint. I thought he did that.
“The free throws are indicative of that. It’s not his norm but we need a little bit of that. It’s good for him to get to the line and get those easy ones.”
The Bucks will need to front up again on Thursday with a back-to-back against the Dallas Mavericks with Budenholzer stating he expects Middleton to play after only being used for 28 minutes against the Rockets.
“We’re expecting him to be able to play,” the Bucks head coach said. “We’ll see how he responds tonight. We probably had a bit more in the bank tonight if we needed it.”
