The Bucks have been almost unbeatable when Khris Middleton has played this season, but coach Mike Budenholzer was in no rush to put him back in the starting lineup, writes Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Before posting 24 points and 11 assists in a starting role Tuesday night, Middleton had been used off the bench since returning to action on January 23.
Budenholzer was being deliberately cautious with Middleton, who missed the first 20 games of the season due to injuries. Milwaukee is now 18-4 in games that Middleton has played, and Budenholzer plans to keep him in the starting unit for the rest of the season.
“I think it’s just more important to get the minutes,” Middleton said. “I mean, starting is kind of up in the air or whatever. Finishing games and playing minutes I think is what most guys want to do. They want to finish games, they want to play as many minutes as they can.”
There’s more on the Bucks:
- Jrue Holiday missed Tuesday’s game with soreness in his neck, and Budenholzer called it more of an ongoing issue than a sudden injury, Owczarski adds. “Visiting with him a little bit, I think it’s just kind of been coming … it’s just kind of gotten kind of progressively worse,” Budenholzer said. “Hopefully it’s short term. We’ll just see how he feels day to day.” Holiday has been listed as probable for Thursday’s game against the Nets, Owczarski tweets.
- Players are supportive of moves to bolster the roster with veterans such as Jae Crowder and Goran Dragic, even though it cuts into minutes for some players already on the team, Owczarski notes in another Journal-Sentinel article. “They do a great job of bringing high quality guys in, guys that are unselfish that want to sacrifice anything they can for the team to win,” Middleton said of the front office. “But then also I think we have an easy locker room, easy guys to get along with, many guys from different backgrounds but we have one common thing in mind and that’s to win. When you put all that together it’s easy for guys to come in and fit.”
- Lindell Wigginton‘s two-way deal with the Bucks is for two years, Hoops Rumors has learned.