If Damian Lillard was obviously crucial with his 13 points and his two winning baskets in the last quarter in Miami to bring the Bucks back into the game, it was Khris Middleton who made the difference in the last 150 seconds.
How ? By stringing together two mid-distance shots to increase the score from 118 all to 118-122 for Milwaukee, who would end up winning a few moments later.
“Previously, I wasn’t with him to see that, but I’ve seen matches and I know he’s comfortable in those situations,” comments Damian Lillard for the Journal Sentinelevoking the qualities of the winger in “money time”. “As soon as I saw he was open, I knew he was going to take the shot. He made a complicated shot, that’s what good players do. »
A match missed before, out of caution
To conclude, in the last seconds, Khris Middleton will serve Brook Lopez for a dunk. With 6 of his 17 points in this last quarter, the winger had saved the best for last.
“I was a little angry with myself, especially on defense. I felt like I let my team down. I changed my mindset,” he explains. “We had a decision to make in the last quarter and we decided to take him out for a few minutes to play the last five,” adds Adrian Griffin. “He is decisive and we needed every minute of him. »
However, the 2021 champion missed the meeting against the Blazers, won after recovering a gap of 26 points. Hit in the Achilles tendon against the Wizards, how does he feel?
“It was a little tense, that’s all. I was probably too careful, but I felt it was the best decision to make,” he explains about his failed match. “I made the right decision by staying on the bench, taking care of myself, working and feeling well enough to play this match. »
| Khris Middleton | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2012-13 | DET | 27 | 18 | 44.0 | 31.1 | 84.4 | 0.2 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 6.1 |
| 2013-14 | MIL | 82 | 30 | 44.0 | 41.4 | 86.1 | 0.7 | 3.1 | 3.8 | 2.1 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 0.2 | 12.1 |
| 2014-15 | MIL | 79 | 30 | 46.7 | 40.7 | 85.9 | 0.6 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 0.1 | 13.4 |
| 2015-16 | MIL | 79 | 36 | 44.4 | 39.6 | 88.8 | 0.6 | 3.3 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 2.6 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 0.2 | 18.2 |
| 2016-17 | MIL | 29 | 31 | 45.0 | 43.3 | 88.0 | 0.4 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 3.4 | 2.7 | 1.4 | 2.2 | 0.2 | 14.7 |
| 2017-18 | MIL | 82 | 36 | 46.6 | 35.9 | 88.4 | 0.6 | 4.7 | 5.2 | 4.0 | 3.3 | 1.5 | 2.3 | 0.3 | 20.2 |
| 2018-19 | MIL | 77 | 31 | 44.1 | 37.8 | 83.7 | 0.7 | 5.3 | 6.0 | 4.3 | 2.2 | 1.0 | 2.3 | 0.1 | 18.3 |
| 2019-20 | MIL | 62 | 30 | 49.7 | 41.5 | 91.6 | 0.7 | 5.5 | 6.2 | 4.3 | 2.3 | 0.9 | 2.2 | 0.1 | 20.9 |
| 2020-21 | MIL | 68 | 33 | 47.6 | 41.4 | 89.8 | 0.8 | 5.2 | 6.0 | 5.4 | 2.4 | 1.1 | 2.6 | 0.1 | 20.4 |
| 2021-22 | MIL | 66 | 32 | 44.3 | 37.3 | 89.0 | 0.6 | 4.8 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 2.4 | 1.2 | 2.9 | 0.3 | 20.1 |
| 2022-23 | MIL | 33 | 24 | 43.6 | 31.5 | 90.2 | 0.9 | 3.4 | 4.2 | 4.9 | 2.1 | 0.7 | 2.2 | 0.2 | 15.1 |
| 2023-24 | MIL | 13 | 20 | 46.0 | 32.0 | 84.0 | 0.8 | 3.2 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 1.9 | 0.7 | 1.7 | 0.1 | 11.6 |
| Total | 697 | 31 | 45.7 | 38.7 | 88.1 | 0.6 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 3.8 | 2.5 | 1.2 | 2.1 | 0.2 | 16.9 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
