MILWAUKEE — Khris Middleton has built his legacy as a scorer who's equally adept at bombing from long range or banking in turnaround daggers from midrange. In the Milwaukee Bucks' thrilling 114-109 victory over the Orlando Magic on Tuesday to secure a 5-0 record in NBA Cup games and a weekend trip to Las Vegas, Middleton managed 0 points on just two shot attempts and no trips to the free-throw line in 20 minutes of play.
But he more than compensated with an array of assists, steals, hustle plays, and one timely charge, enough to leave his teammates and coaches gushing despite the goose egg in the scoring column.
“It’s not always a numbers thing,” said Damian Lillard, who closed out the game with a three-pointer and lay-up in the final minute that proved to be decisive. Lillard pointed to a “presence” and a basketball intelligence that Middleton brought to the game as crucial to their win.
“I felt it,” Lillard said. “I mean you could feel him on the floor.”
Perhaps no one felt Middleton's presence more than Giannis Antetokounmpo, who converted 7 Middleton passes — Middleton had 8 total assists — into easy buckets down low. Tuesday's win-or-stay-home game showed the pair's NBA marriage is like any other long marriage — some ribbing about how old the other is and occasional gripes but also an on-court connection that borders on the telepathic.
“Him and Giannis have such a great chemistry,” said coach Doc Rivers. “It's just fantastic.”
When Middleton first checked in late in the first quarter, he dribbled left at the top of the key, crossing paths with Antetokounmpo just outside the three-point line. Their defenders got tangled briefly, allowing Middleton to hit his teammate rolling to the rim on the right side of the lane for an easy dunk. Minutes later, same story: Middleton, ball in hand on the perimeter, beyond the arc, dribbled left around a Brook Lopez screen before hitting a rim-running Giannis on the left side of the lane. Easy flush. The pattern repeated itself throughout the game.
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Middleton is on a minutes restriction as he eases his way back into game shape. But Rivers played him at the end of each quarter, and the veteran consistently made winning plays without scoring. Just before halftime, with the Bucks down by a point, the often-injured Middleton without hesitation stepped in front of a driving Magic player in the lane, earning a charge and giving the Bucks a final possession with 8 seconds left. That resulted in a thunderous dunk by Antetokounmpo off a dish from Lillard to send them into halftime leading by a point.
Next up: an NBA Cup semifinal game in Las Vegas on Saturday.
“We want to win the Cup, you know,” Rivers said on Tuesday. “We've said it upfront and and that's what we're going to try to do.”