It’s official: the Milwaukee Bucks are going to the second round of the NBA playoffs.
After easily taking down the Chicago Bulls, the reigning champs are now preparing to move forward and battle it out with the Boston Celtics.
That’s bound to be a tough faceoff between the two teams and the Celtics will pose quite a threat to the Bucks.
Unfortunately, Milwaukee will have to do it all without one of their lead players.
The left MCL injury of Bucks All-Star Khris Middleton is a Grade 2 sprain and he is expected to miss the entire second-round series vs. Celtics, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. The recovery of Grade 2 MCL places a potential Conference Finals in jeopardy for him as well.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 28, 2022
Shams Charania is reporting that the left MCL injury of All-Star Khris Middleton is a grade two sprain and will cause him to miss the entire second-round series against Boston.
Additionally, the injury also puts a potential Conference Finals appearance in jeopardy too.
Middleton is a huge asset for the Bucks – can they win it all again without him?
Middleton Out
Pushing forward and winning the East without Middleton isn’t impossible but it certainly is hard for Milwaukee.
The player has been putting up an average of 20.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.4 assists a game this year and is a vital part of the team’s rotation.
Last year, he helped propel the team to their championship win.
Middleton created an average of 23.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 5.1 assists during last year’s playoffs.
His bright shining moment came during Game 4 of the Finals when he scored a whopping 40 points and brought the Bucks one step closer to winning it all.
The good news for Milwaukee is that the team has a deep roster and is built to withstand a loss like this.
Case in point, he hasn’t played in the last three games and the Bucks still won.
However, taking down the Celtics will be much harder than taking down the Bulls so Middleton will be missed.
But hopes for the Bucks aren’t necessarily gone just yet.
