DETROIT – The Milwaukee Bucks proved exactly why they are leading the National Basketball Association (NBA) standings at the moment, as they have a supporting cast who can step up whenever their stars are down.
On Monday night, Khris Middleton scored a season-high 34 points as the Bucks clinched a 126-117 road victory over the Detroit Pistons despite the absence of Greek-Nigerian superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The forward, out with a sore knee, was just one of Milwaukee’s high-profile absentees, with Jrue Holiday away for personal reasons and Jae Crowder sidelined by a calf injury.
But 31-year-old Middleton, who was drafted by the Pistons in 2012, made sure the Eastern Conference leaders (54-21) came away with another victory, as the Bucks pulled away with a 14-2 run in the fourth quarter – when Milwaukee guard Jevon Carter made three of his six three-pointers.
“With Jrue out, Giannis being out, I had to be aggressive,” said Middleton, who also pulled down eight rebounds.
“I had to get to my spots and, when I got there, I’ve either got to shoot or find the open man.”
Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer was pleased with Middleton’s contributions, especially as the forward had just returned from serious knee and wrist injuries lately.
“Khris has looked really good since he came back from the injury,” he said.
“He is obviously going to be shooting it but he is doing a lot of good things defensively right now.”
Rookie Jaden Ivey scored a career-high 32 points for Detroit but the Pistons (16-59) lost their sixth straight game.
Elsewhere, there was good news for the slumping Dallas Mavericks, who snapped a four-game skid with a 127-104 road victory over the Indiana Pacers.
Luka Doncic led the Mavs with 25 points – starting the game after the NBA rescinded the technical foul he was assessed in a loss at Charlotte on Sunday, which would have been his 16th of the season, and triggered an automatic one-game suspension.
He made the most of the reprieve, adding seven rebounds and six assists – one of them an impressive side-armed pass across the court to rookie Jaden Hardy for a three-pointer.
“I didn’t think he saw me at first,” Hardy said.
“Then, when he saw me, I didn’t think he was going to be able to get it to me.
“But he did... so I was like, I’ve got to knock this down for him.”
Kyrie Irving added 16 points and six assists for the Mavericks (37-39), who are half a game behind the Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder in the hunt for the final two Western Conference play-in tournament berths.
Irving, still battling nagging pain in his right foot, connected on seven of 11 shots.
He had three rebounds, six assists, three blocked shots and two steals. AFP
