Celtics

Reports: Bucks’ Khris Middleton expected to miss Celtics series

"They may have to get through another series."

Khris Middleton of the Milwaukee Bucks reacts to an officials call during Game Two of the Eastern Conference First Round Playoffs against the Chicago Bulls. Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images

By Tom Westerholm

updated on April 28, 2022

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Milwaukee’s Khris Middleton could miss the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Celtics, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

After the Bucks dismissed the Chicago Bulls from the NBA playoffs Wednesday night in five games, Charania reported Thursday morning that Middleton has a Grade 2 MCL sprain and is expected to miss Milwaukee’s entire second-round series vs. Boston.

The reporting comes after a similar report from Wojnarowski, who said on ESPN’s NBA Today on Wednesday that Middleton — who sprained his MCL against the Bulls — will be re-evaluated in two weeks but that the Bucks aren’t expecting Middleton back on the floor immediately after he is cleared to return to practice.

“Certainly he’ll get that re-evaluation at the 14-day, two-week point next week, but I’m told that injury is expected to keep him out longer than that,” Wojnarowski said. “There’s not a sense that he’s going to get re-evaluated at two weeks and all of a sudden be back at practice and be ready to play. That’s a benchmark in this process, but the Bucks certainly — they are on the cusp of getting past the Bulls here — they may have to get through another series, a conference semifinal, before they may have the opportunity to get Khris Middleton back in this season.”

Missing Middleton would be a brutal hit for the Bucks. Middleton has a long history of torturing the Celtics with big games, but even aside from his history, the Bucks rely heavily on their second star to take pressure off Giannis Antetokounmpo. Without Middleton, the Celtics will have one fewer leak to plug defensively. The Bucks can counter with more shooters and higher usage for Jrue Holiday, but missing their secondary star in a series against the NBA’s hottest team is a tall order.