Middleton still out, Smart likely back

MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton will miss at least two more games in the Eastern Conference semifinal series with the Boston Celtics as he recovers from a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee.

Middleton hasn’t played since injuring his knee in Game 2 of the Bucks’ fivegame, first-round victory win over the Chicago Bulls.

The Bucks and Celtics are tied 1-1 heading into Game 3 on Saturday in Milwaukee. Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer acknowledged after practice Thursday that Middleton wouldn’t play either of the next two games, but was upbeat about the three-time All-Star’s long-term prognosis.

“We feel really good about where he is,” Budenholzer said. “We continue to hope he makes progress.”

When he was asked about the possibility that Middleton could play later in the Celtics series, Budenholzer replied, “We’ll see.”

Budenholzer also said

Saturday, 3:30 p.m. (ABC)

reserve guard George Hill is “getting close” and participated in most of Thursday’s practice. Hill hasn’t played at all in the postseason due to an abdominal strain.

“We’ve just got to see how he comes out of that,” Budenholzer said.

While the Bucks will continue to be missing one of their top players for the next couple of games, the Boston Celtics are hopeful they will have guard Marcus Smart back for Game 3.

Smart said Thursday there’s a “strong likelihood” he’ll play Saturday after missing the Celtics’ 109-86 Game 2 victory with a bruised right thigh.

“We’re just dealing with the last part of it, and that’s getting that restriction off of the knee and the joint so I can be able to bend,” Smart said in a Zoom session from Boston. “Once that goes away, I should be back to myself. Everything else is healing up the right way.”