Bucks' Khris Middleton gets only second triple-double of his career in victory over Thunder
How is it possible that Khris Middleton got just the second triple-double of his career in the big win Sunday night against Oklahoma City?
Middleton’s résumé in 12 NBA seasons includes 730 regular-season games, as well as eight years of playoffs with another 74 games. He’s an elite scorer. He’s one of the best and most versatile passers in the game. An all-around player and creator.
The other triple-double was in January 2018 at Philadelphia, and that’s all he remembers about it (he had 23 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists).
But the one Sunday night at Fiserv Forum was memorable because Middleton did a little of everything with 11 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists on a Bucks team stacked with talent.
In the 118-93 drubbing of the Thunder (49-21), which has the second-best record in the Western Conference, the Bucks were at full strength, one of the rare games all season with all the starters playing and looking healthy. The Bucks' four-deep bench was equally forceful.
In all, seven Bucks scored in double figures, but only Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 30; everyone else was between 10 and 15 points. Middleton played complementary basketball, unselfishly among the scoring avalanche the Bucks put on OKC, by enhancing every strength this power team is capable of showing.
Bucks coach Doc Rivers was ready to sub out Middleton in the fourth quarter with a comfortable 107-86 lead, as he did Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard with about 4 minutes left. But Middleton – normally not a stat watcher – asked for a little more playing time.
“I said a little word to Doc, I was feeling it – I guess you could say,” Middleton said, grinning. “I realized I was one point away; I could be in control, I could hopefully knock down the jump shot, like I did tonight.”
Middleton already had seized his 10th rebound and, after a timeout, hit a 15-foot step-back jump shot from the right of the free throw line.
He then committed a little transition foul on his way to the bench, checking out of the game as teammates on the bench celebrated.
[Highlight] Khris Middleton nails the mid-ranger and has the triple-double with 11/10/10. His last one was in 2018!
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Best of all, since Middleton has returned from a painful and severe ankle sprain, the Bucks have been moving the ball a lot more. As a team, they had 33 assists against Oklahoma City. The Bucks are looking to pass and they're creating all kinds of havoc on the opponent with their intentional ball movement.
One of Middleton's best passes of the game was a transition rainbow outlet to a running Brook Lopez. Lopez scored the layup and the free throw and it capped a 16-0 third quarter run by the Bucks that put Milwaukee ahead, 66-49.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Bucks' Khris Middleton gets second triple-double of career