Bucks' Khris Middleton Out At Least 2 Weeks; Knee Injury Diagnosed as Sprained MCL

Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton will miss the remainder of his team's first-round playoff series with the Chicago Bulls at minimum with a sprained MCL in his left knee, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. He will be re-evaluated in two weeks.

Middleton exited the Bucks' loss to the Chicago Bulls in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series with an MCL injury in his left knee. He departed midway through the fourth quarter and didn't return as Chicago leveled the series with a 114-110 road win.

The three-time All-Star previously injured his left knee in December.

He's a crucial cog in Milwaukee's offensive system when healthy. He averaged 20.1 points, 5.4 assists and 2.5 threes across 66 appearances during the regular season.

Pat Connaughton and Grayson Allen would handle most of the extra minutes on the wing if Middleton is forced out of the lineup. Jordan Nwora may also rejoin the rotation for added depth.

The Bucks entered the playoffs with a real shot at defending their 2021 championship. Losing Middleton for any extended stretch of the postseason would be a massive blow to that effort and would put even more weight on the shoulders of Giannis Antetokounmpo.