Khris Middleton remains out for the Milwaukee Bucks’ matchup with the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday due to left ankle sprain. Head coach Doc Rivers did not offer much in the way of an update during his pre-game media session. “I don’t yet [have a timeline],” Rivers said. “I think we’ll know more tomorrow, but I don’t know yet.”
Middleton was injured in the Bucks’ 114-106 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday and left the arena on crutches and in a walking boot, according to Eric Nehm.
About six minutes into the game, Middleton had the ball on the wing and was guarded by Kevin Durant. He worked himself into a rhythm, pulled up for a 3-pointer, and unfortunately landed on Durant’s foot. His left ankle rolled violently, and he collapsed to the floor in obvious pain.
After briefly reviewing the monitor, the officials upgraded the foul to a Flagrant 1 on Durant. Middleton took the flagrant free throws himself — he went 1-of-2 — and briefly remained in the game. However, he was not moving well and checked out at the next dead ball. He immediately went back to the locker room with the Bucks’ medical staff and was ruled out for the rest of the game.
It’s still too early to tell how serious this issue is for Middleton and the Bucks. The negative X-rays in the initial aftermath were an encouraging sign, but the results of further imaging are unclear. Regardless, the Bucks will likely take the cautious route given Middleton’s health problems in recent years.
Dating back to the 2022 playoffs, when he sprained the MCL in his left knee in the first round, Middleton has been a regular on the injured list. He’s dealt with a myriad of upper and lower body problems and has undergone two surgeries — one on his wrist and another on his knee last summer.
Having him healthy for the postseason will be paramount, even if that means he has to miss a few more regular season games than he’d prefer. The loss to the Suns was the conclusion of a frustrating 1-4 road trip for the Bucks, who are now 33-18 on the season and tied for third place in the Eastern Conference with the New York Knicks.
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