NBA: Bucks build big edge, hold off Hornets for fifth straight win
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Khris Middleton (right) of the Milwaukee Bucks is defended by JT Thor of the Charlotte Hornets during the Fiserv Forum on Jan 31.
PHOTO: AFP
MILWAUKEE - Khris Middleton is not bothered by playing limited minutes, or coming off the bench for the Milwaukee Bucks.
After all, he is still gradually finding his groove after being sidelined for much of the National Basketball Association season because of injuries.
On Tuesday night, the forward came off the bench to score 18 points – only behind Giannis Antetokounmpo’s game-high 34 – as the Bucks survived a turbulent fourth quarter to record their fifth consecutive victory, beating the visiting Charlotte Hornets 124-115.
Middleton played 20 minutes in total, which was his longest since returning from a knee injury that caused him to miss 18 games. He was also absent for Milwaukee’s first 20 games in the season following a wrist surgery.
“Right now, I’m trying to be as aggressive as I can,” he said on ESPN.
“I know it sounds simple or whatever, but that’s just the mindset I’m trying to come up with, especially with my limited minutes. Hopefully, as my minutes keep going (up), I keep the same mindset because it’s been working.”
Since his return, he has come off the bench in the Bucks’ last five games, but not that it mattered to him, though.
“I started my career coming off the bench, so it doesn’t really bother me at all,” he said.
“I’ve been on the bench before, not playing games, sometimes coming in first quarter, second quarter or sometimes not until the second half. I just know I have to stay ready and have to be loose.”
The Bucks improved to 34-17 and second in the Eastern Conference behind the Boston Celtics (36-15) but it was not an easy game for them on Tuesday.
Milwaukee went nearly seven minutes between made field goals in the fourth period as Charlotte steadily whittled down what had been a 17-point Bucks lead, with less than seven minutes remaining, to five points with just over a minute to go.
But the Hornets went cold after cutting the deficit and could not get closer, largely because of missed attempts from Mason Plumlee and Jalen McDaniels.
LaMelo Ball kept Charlotte in it with his second triple-double of the season. He scored a team-high 27 points, dished a game-high 11 assists and grabbed 10 rebounds.
Ball also blocked a team-high three shots.
Terry Rozier scored 20 points as Charlotte saw their two-game winning streak end and dropped to 15-37.
“Our second half wasn’t that bad,” Rozier said on The Charlotte Observer.
“Our effort has been pretty good these last few games, giving ourselves a chance to win.
“We never gave up. We had a chance to win at the end of the game, too.
“We just got to clean up a lot of the plays. So, that’s it.” REUTERS
