Middleton finished with 22 points and seven assists against the Phoenix Suns yesterday (3/17). It was his first match since February 6.
“I’ve been doing this for a long time,” Middleton said after the match, via ESPN. “I know how to slow myself down and not try to go too fast – or speed up. I know how to come in, play at my own pace and change the pace. A lot of the work I was doing in rehab was just making sure my wind was there and my fitness was as good as it could be.
Middleton injured his left ankle on Feb. 6 against the Suns. The NBA champion played 25 minutes on Sunday and looked like a player who didn’t miss a moment.
“Khris Middleton, I tell you, for a guy who missed that many games, to look that good was pretty impressive,” the Bucks head coach said. Doc Rivers said. “It’s nice, I tell you. When you’re a coach and you have a guy that can rush in and call one of your sets, that you were probably going to call and set guys up, man, that’s a luxury.
The Bucks improved to 44-24 after beating the Suns. Milwaukee is in second place in the Eastern Conference standings.
Damien Lillardwho had 31 points and 16 assists against the Suns, said Middleton looked great.
“He looked great to me,” Lillard said. “He really took his time to make sure he was right. At our age, how long we’ve been in this league and how many miles we have on our body, we know our body, when we should come back. After an injury, he made the right decision to wait until he felt good. … His game looked precise.
