Milwaukee’s Parker happy to be in playoffs

MILWAUKEE — Four years into his injuryplagued tenure in the NBA, Jabari Parker is finally nearing an important career first.

The Milwaukee Bucks are going to the playoffs for the third time in four years. But this will be the first postseason with a healthy Parker.

“I’m just grateful to get to get the opportunity. That’s what means the most (in) the NBA,” the forward said after practice Wednesday. “It’s not the regular season. It’s the postseason, and that’s where you want to end up.”

The Bucks clinched a second consecutive playoff berth when the Detroit Pistons lost to the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night. Milwaukee has already sealed a second consecutive winning season, something the once-woebegone franchise hadn’t achieved since the 1999-2000 and 2000-01 seasons.

Parker, the second overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft, has played a key role in Milwaukee’s revitalization — when healthy. Knee injuries in the 2014-15 and 2016-17 seasons prevented Parker from suiting up.

He has steadily earned more minutes since returning on Feb. 2 from his latest injury. After 27 games, Parker is still mainly coming off the bench but he has reached the point where he can play starter-type minutes.

Parker has logged at least 30 minutes in each of the last two games, including a season-high 39 on Sunday against Denver when he scored 35 points, also a season high.

“What he’s done in a very short amount of time is not easy, and so his progression of minutes — he’s earned what he’s getting,” coach Joe Prunty said.