The Bucks lost two key contributors to injuries over the course of their Game 2 loss to Chicago on Wednesday.
All-Star forward Khris Middleton left in the fourth quarter due to a left knee injury later diagnosed as a sprained MCL, according to Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, while big man Bobby Portis suffered a right eye abrasion in the first quarter and didn’t return, per an Associated Press report.
Middleton will undergo an MRI on his injured knee on Thursday to further assess the extent of the damage and to get a clearer sense of his potential timeline for a return.
A player’s recovery timetable from a sprained MCL can vary depending on the severity of the injury, but it’s generally measured in weeks rather than just days. Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, and Kelly Olynyk were among the players who missed more than a month this season due to MCL sprains — the Bucks will be hoping that Middleton’s sprain isn’t as significant.
“Obviously Khris is one of the best players on the team,” MVP finalist Giannis Antetokounmpo said after the game, per Owczarski. “If he’s not able to be with us, it going to be a tremendous loss for us. But at the end of the day, we’ve got guys that hopefully can step up and we can still do our job and compete and enjoy the game, and hopefully it’s not something very serious and he can come back and join us very soon.”
As for Portis, he left the game in the first quarter after taking a hit to the face from Tristan Thompson. Bucks assistant Darvin Ham said during an in-game interview that 27-year-old was “having problems with the vision in his right eye” (video link via Bally Sports Wisconsin). However, head coach Mike Budenholzer said after the game that the expectation is Portis “should be fine with some time,” according to Steve Megargee of The Associated Press.
In other injury news out of Milwaukee, it sounds like backup point guard George Hill, who missed the first two games of the series due to an abdominal strain, won’t be back for Game 3 — Budenholzer told reporters prior to Wednesday’s game that the Bucks “don’t expect him in the short term,” writes Jamal Collier of ESPN.
“We’ll see how he progresses over the next I’d say handful of days or more,” Budenholzer said of Hill.
We’ll wait for further updates on Middleton and Portis to see just how shorthanded the Bucks will be when they resume their series vs. the Bulls on Friday in Chicago, tied at one game apiece.
This might just turn the tide for these BULLS.
During clutch and end-of-the shotclock situations, Middleton is money – this is horrible news for the BUCKS.
Agreed. Portis will hurt too, forcing them to give more minutes to Ibaka … we’ll see if he’s ready for them
Ultimately this Bucks team is probably the best team in the East but also one of the least equipped to handle injuries to any of their rotation guys, nvm Middleton
The series is over!! No Middleton = Bucks bounced 1st round. Bulls headed home now. Milwaukee has no answer for DeRozan.
Karma is also at work here. Remember the Grayson Allen flagrant foul on Alex Caruso????? Now the Bulls are about to bounce the Bucks in Round 1. Karma!!
Not sure I want to put this on Karma. But Greyson Allen can eat shiz either way.
Joeballa19 : yes,it was karma for middleton coz he said grayson did a good hard fault.
Teammates are rarely going to throw a teammate under the bus there because it could lead to chemistry and internal issues, although it might’ve been better for him to not defend him so generously.
In any event, this is more on the league for being soft in dolling out suspensions. They are the ones to blame.
Then bucks fans can all cry about injuries costing them another title, like the big bad bulls fans cried nearly the entire season that they were the only team that dealt with injuries.
What does that have to do with Middleton? What did you expect him to do, run to the front office and say get this brat off my team?
From what I’ve gathered, Middleton is 1 of the nicest guys in the league. I just can’t see him bad mouthing anyone, especially a teammate. I also theorized that perhaps he didn’t see the play or a replay close up prior to being asked what he thought of it. But that couldn’t possibly be because reasons.
All that aside, there are maybe half a dozen guys in the NBA who dump on a teammate..if they have a beef with each other, not because they committed a hard/flagrant/dangerous foul on an opponent.
I mean, maybe Scottie Pippen would, but only if it was Jordan, and he’d still wait 25 years to do it.
The injuries are karmatic in the sense that the Bucks have upped the physical aggression all season long. I assume they figure defending champs should be allowed to without blowback.
Problem is, Middletown is more of a finesse forward who is expected to play a guard role sometimes, so he is not with the program. Also they gave up depth when they acquired Jrue, and Lopez has been out, putting pressure on Portis.
I was not as high on MIL as most, now this. I think they had their big year of things coming together. BOS, BRO, MIA, PHI better.
I don’t see anything particularly karmic going on here … but it is interesting that the two most substantial injuries of the 1st round occurred to Booker and Middleton, to the two teams that arguably benefitted most from injuries last season on their way to the Finals
And that’s not counting the stars injured in the regular season: Luka, Murray & MPJ, Kawhi from last season … now we have five teams that could potentially be contenders (MIL, PHX, DEN, DAL, LAC) that are without All Star (caliber) players in the postseason.
And I won’t even mention the other team that plays in LA….
I had this nagging feeling almost all season, that things were going unusually smooth for the SUNS.
Truer point of karma there, b69
I said this the other day, sure seems like the team that survives injury-wise makes it to the end. Celtics are looking good in the East even though Robert Williams has been out. Maybe he’ll be back soon and they’ll be at full strength for a good run?
I would not bury the Bucks yet. These Bulls have a way of snstching defeat from the jaws of victory. Giannis can still turn it up a notch and they have no answer to stop him.
Giannis still cannot make free throws
His stubbornness and insistence of driving to the basket, often times through defenders, might be his downfall. Unless of course he cries enough and the refs forget how to call a charge.
Giannis-Downfall- What?
We are in for a wild playoff run. I see the East coming down to Boston and Miami. I see the West being really crazy. Phoenix will get bounced by New Orleans without Booker. Dallas gonna get Luka back and bounce Utah. West Finals will be Memphis vs. Dallas. With Memphis advancing. Memphis vs. Boston for the title.
You should watch The Warriors tonight. It’s a thing of beauty. They’re clicking on all cylinders right now. They may challenge for an appearance in the Western Conference finals this year.
By the way, tonight’s Grizzlies Timberwolves game should be epic !! Look forward to watching that.
Really huge moment for the Wolves as they need to establish credible threat to advance with a good showing tonight. If not, then game one was a major facade.
The Bulls should of won game 1. Having said that I’ve gone from thinking the Bulls could win a couple of games to thinking it will at worst go 7. They’re disadvantage will be lack of muscle and in the playoffs that makes all the difference sometimes. Bulls have been playing small ball all year and getting their players beat up. Might work in one series but 4? IDK. Still you have to knockout the champ to beat the champ so assuming victory would be a huge mistake.
Middleton injured definitely hurts the Bucks but Giannis is the type that can just take it on his shoulders and go for 35/13/7/2 for rest of the series. I’m not counting them out.
And occasionally he WILL hit his free throws. Had that happened last night, Bucks are up 2-0.
Why don’t we let the series play out before crowning the Bulls first round champions.
Fo, Fo, Fo, Fo
K-Mid’s injury will no doubt affect long term MIL, but… for this series with CHI they will still win it easily, I mean Giannis is just sooo good that he will eat alive the Bulls, mark my words!