Aside from the eventual defeat, Khris Middleton enjoyed everything about his season debut for the Milwaukee Bucks, playing alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard for the first time this season.
On Sunday, Middleton and the Bucks will shift their focus to the Brooklyn Nets, whom they lost to 115-102 during the first week of the season.
Middleton missed the first 21 games due to an arduous rehab following offseason surgery on both ankles. Last season, he was limited to 55 games and appeared in only 33 games in 2022-23 due to a wrist injury and knee issues after missing Milwaukee’s final 10 postseason games in 2022 with a knee sprain.
In his season debut on Friday, Middleton, a three-time All-Star, scored 11 points in 23 minutes in the Bucks’ 111-105 road loss to the Boston Celtics. In Milwaukee’s third loss to the Celtics this season, the 33-year-old shot 2 of 10 and missed all six of his second-half attempts as the Bucks were outscored 58-48.
Middleton’s debut took place on a night when the Bucks shot 42.6 percent, their third-lowest total this season. Despite Lillard scoring 31 and Antetokounmpo finishing with 30, the duo combined for just 4 of 13 shooting in the fourth quarter. The Bucks were 8 of 24 from the field and outscored 33-23 in the final period.
The Bucks are coming off consecutive losses for the first time since Nov. 8-10 when they lost to the New York Knicks and Celtics. Prior to a 15-point loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday and falling short in Boston, the Bucks had won seven straight.
Milwaukee’s 115-102 loss in Brooklyn on Oct. 27 was part of a six-game losing streak and a 2-8 start through Nov. 10.
Brooklyn returns to action after an extended break following their 99-90 home win over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.
Before beating the Pacers, the Nets lost three straight, including a 23-point home loss to the Orlando Magic on Nov. 29 and a 26-point road loss to the Chicago Bulls on Monday.
Nets coach Jordi Fernandez described the loss in Chicago as “non-competitive,” but the Nets regrouped against the Pacers with one of their best defensive showings all season.
In addition to allowing fewer than 100 points for the first time this season, Brooklyn’s improved defense held Indiana to 42.7 percent shooting from the field and a season-best 24.2 percent from 3-point range (8 of 33).
Cameron Johnson scored 26 points after missing the loss in Chicago with an ankle injury. Nic Claxton added 16 points, while Shake Milton contributed 15. Milton also had an alley-oop pass to Ben Simmons for the tiebreaking dunk during Brooklyn’s decisive 10-0 run, which turned an 80-80 tie into a 90-80 lead and was part of a game-ending 19-10 run.
