Milwaukee Bucks: Khris Middleton’s three best games of the season so far

2. February 24, 2020 – When the Milwaukee Bucks really needed him, Middleton showed up in the Nation’s Capital.

Players like Middleton fly under the radar en-route to their best statistical outputs. For someone who’s known for his high-IQ shot selection, Middleton had a few rough moments in this game and made just two of his eight shots from deep. However, the veteran wing managed to put together an outstanding 40-point, 5-rebound, 5-assist stat line with three steals to match.

Just as he did in that game against the Kings, Giannis found himself in foul trouble on the road in Washington D.C. The Greek Freak logged just 24 minutes and fouled out late in the game, finishing with 22 points, 14 boards and an uncharacteristic eight turnovers. This gave way for Middleton to take over in the fourth quarter and overtime.

After struggling to connect on his shots later in regulation, Middleton capped off the night by scoring the Milwaukee Bucks’ final nine points including a pull-up triple with 30.2 seconds remaining in overtime to solidify the win. In addition to putting on a scoring clinic with his second game over 40 points on the season, Middleton stepped up when the team needed him the most.

Leadership comes in many different forms. Some guys speak up and assert their presence while others let it show in moments of weakness. Milwaukee lost the turnover battle to the worst defensive team in basketball 21-17 in this one and committed 28 fouls. They finished with fewer steals and assists than Washington while allowing 15 3-pointers at 42.9 percent.

This was a tough showing for the best team in basketball, but the Bucks got bailed out by Middleton’s great showing. It was a statement game that said “Even in the face of adversity, I’m not going to let my team down.” And for that, it was Middleton’s second-best game of the season.

His best, however, was about a month earlier against the same opponent.