Middleton starts, provides a boost
ORLANDO – The Milwaukee Bucks are in a brutal stretch of games, but they toppled the Orlando Magic for the second time in a week in winning 134-123 Tuesday night at the Amway Center.
It was the Bucks’ third win in four games over a span of seven days, and it kept them three games clear of the Boston Celtics in the loss column for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Milwaukee holds the league’s best record at 47-18 and tied Boston and New York for the most victories on the road this season with 20. Orlando dropped to 27-39.
Middleton, Lopez, Carter spark Bucks
The lone member of the Big Three who played started for the first time since December, and the Bucks’ iron man continued his stellar play in leading the Bucks to victory. Khris Middleton played 31 minutes, but his presence in the starting lineup was more than just an emotional boost.
He assisted on three quick baskets and then made his first three shots to create 13 of the Bucks’ 15 points.
Brook Lopez was on the receiving end of two of those assists, the Bucks’ first points, and the 7-footer immediately established himself in the paint.
“It’s just the way it played out,” Middleton said. “Brook did a great job of making himself available, especially at the rim with pick-and-rolls and duckins and whatnot. He’s one of the biggest guys and he’s underneath the rim you’ve got to give him the ball. It’s an easy basket.”
Middleton tied his season high with 24 points and set a season high with 11 assists, which is the eighth time he’s had at least five assists to go with double-digit points.
“It’s just the kind of high-level, talented player he is,” Lopez said. “It’s crazy. We played so long without him this season but it’s obviously important for him to get healthy and get right.”
Middleton’s minutes total was significant in that it tied a season high as well (Dec. 9 at Dallas) and it was the first time he played consecutive games (albeit with two days off in between) with at least 25 minutes since a four-game stretch Dec. 2-9.
He was also 13 for 14 from the free throw line and had a key steal and rebound late in the game.
“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. Felt great.”
Lopez led the Bucks with 26 points and is averaging 19.5 per game since the all-star break. It was the 17th time Lopez scored at least 20 points and he tied a season high with nine free throw attempts, making eight. Without Giannis Antetokounmpo, Lopez clearly focused his efforts inside on offense.
“We tend to talk about his defense so much, but offensively he’s just been really good too,” Budenholzer said. “It was great to get him going early. Khris finding him; Khris has a knack. Again, I think it got us off to a good start, it got Brook off to a good start. It’s good to see him scoring in a variety of ways.”
Joe Ingles filled in as a point guard when Jevon Carter needed a breather, and Jae Crowder was the one who drew the assignment of guarding rookie of the year candidate Paolo Banchero at times. The Bucks went 10 deep in the first half, and nine players scored as Milwaukee took a 70-60 lead.
“There were just different stretches where it got tight and Jevon made a bunch of plays,” Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer said. “The threes in transition, the (forced) turnovers – and Jae the same thing, the turnover and the and-one – those plays are really hard when you’re trying to dig yourself out of a hole and we’re getting quick threes and and-ones and stuff like that, it allows you to keep a lead.”
Orlando was target for Middleton’s rstart
It’s been a long back to a familiar place for the three-time all-star Middleton, as he started his first game since December. Budenholzer and Middleton said this game was a target date for him to not only start, but also push past 30 minutes of action.
The Bucks’ coach then let it be known Middleton is back with the starters going forward.
“We’re fortunate to have a guy like him, we were fortunate to have him come off the bench for a good long stretch,” Budenholzer said. “He did amazing things there and he’s going to continue it where he’s always been, in our starting lineup.”
Middleton acknowledged the 14game, 42-day process to get to Tuesday tested his patience but said through it all he felt great except for after the Boston game on Feb. 14, which caused him to miss the game in Chicago on Feb. 16.
Wigginton gets two-way contract
The Bucks maxed out their roster on Tuesday by signing guard Lindell Wigginton to a two-way contract, filling the spot vacated when the team waived Sandro Mamukelashvili. Wigginton had played the entire season with the Wisconsin Herd, averaging 18.6 points and 5.8 assists in 35 games.
“Obviously one of the reasons why they kept me in the G League system is to go down there and just continue to get better, and I think I did that during my whole time with the G League team,” he told the Journal Sentinel. “It didn’t go in our favor with like wins and losses column, but I think as an individual I got better.”
Whom do the Bucks play next?
Milwaukee heads home to play Brooklyn at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Fiserv Forum.
The new-look Nets pushed the Bucks to the limit Feb. 28 in New York. The Nets have seen Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson thrive in new roles since being acquired in the Kevin Durant trade and center Nic Claxton is having a strong defensive season.