Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer informed reporters that forward Khris Middleton has tested positive for COVID-19 and is currently in quarantine. Middleton was believed to have a non-COVID illness but he has contracted the virus, meaning he is likely looking at a couple of weeks on the sidelines. Middleton's absence will test Milwaukee's depth even more, as they're already without Jrue Holiday (ankle). Giannis Antetokounmpo seems headed towards monster usage, with Pat Connaughton and Grayson Allen having solid DFS appeal as well.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton (illness) will miss his second straight game while adhering to the league's health and safety protocols surrounding COVID-19. Middleton wasn't in the lineup on Sunday against Utah and will now be absent for the divisional matchup against Detroit. Although the details surrounding the exact nature of his sickness have been murky, his next chance to suit up will come on Friday against the visiting New York Knicks. Jrue Holiday (ankle) and Brook Lopez (back) are also listed as out against the Pistons, so Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) and Grayson Allen (knee), who are both probable, should be the primary beneficiaries. The recently-returned Bobby Portis may also get a crack at the starting lineup, although he is a favorite to do some damage on the fantasy end, regardless of his role on Tuesday night.

Milwaukee Bucks small forward Khris Middleton had a very efficient scoring night in Monday's win over the Pacers, going 2-for-3 from downtown and 9-for-17 overall from the field with a 7-for-8 mark at the free-throw line. He added seven assists to his line with five rebounds, one steal, one block and five turnovers in 32 minutes. Middleton's shot has been all over the place early in the campaign, and he's been very poor from downtown, so this was a very encouraging performance for him. Keeping up the efficient scoring could prove to be difficult, though, as the Bucks host Minnesota on Wednesday. The Timberwolves roll to town with a league-best 89.5 defensive efficiency.

Milwaukee Bucks small forward Khris Middleton keyed his team's victory over the Spurs on Saturday with a game-high 28-point effort. While his six turnovers did serve as a minor speed bump on his stat line, Middleton added three assists, two rebounds, two steals and two made threes in addition to shooting above 50 percent from the floor overall. The Bucks have had to experiment with new-look rotations sans Brook Lopez (back), a conundrum that will push on into Monday's matchup with the Pacers. But for the time being, Middleton continues to remain as consistent as they come in the production column, even seeing a slightly elevated offensive role to begin the season (29.2% USG rating entering Saturday).

Milwaukee Bucks small forward Khris Middleton (hamstring) and point guard Jrue Holiday (knee) will both make their preseason debuts in Sunday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) is slated to make his preseason debut in the game as well. All three players have been dealing with minor injuries and all three are expected to be on an undisclosed minutes limit for Sunday's game. The defending champs have no need to push their veterans this preseason. We should see a good amount of Jordan Nwora, Thanasis Antetokounmpo and Sandro Mamukelashvili on the floor for the Bucks once again on Sunday.

Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday (knee) and forward Khris Middleton (hamstring) won't play during the preseason outing against Memphis. Both men are expected to be ready in time to begin the regular season. However, in the meantime, they will join Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) and Bobby Portis (hamstring) as those who are out against the Grizzlies. As a result, Grayson Allen, George Hill, Jordan Nwora, and Thanasis Antetokounmpo will enter the starting lineup on Tuesday evening.

MILWAUKEE (AP) — This could have been the offseason in which Giannis Antetokounmpo entered the free-agent market and perhaps teamed up with another superstar to try winning multiple NBA titles together. Antetokounmpo instead will spend the summer celebrating a championship he won with the team that picked him. Leading the Bucks to their first NBA crown in half century rewarded Antetokounmpo for his December decision to sign a supermax extension with Milwaukee. Antetokounmpo averaged 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds and 5 assists to help the Bucks beat the Phoenix Suns 4-2 in the NBA Finals. “I could go to a superteam and just do my part and win a championship,’’ Antetokounmpo said Tuesday as he was flanked by the Larry O’Brien trophy and his NBA Finals MVP trophy. “But this is the hard way to do it and this is the way to do it. And we did it.” Antetokounmpo, 26, stuck with the franchise that had taken a chance on him eight years ago by selecting him with the 15th overall pick in the draft. He... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — This could have been the offseason in which Giannis Antetokounmpo entered the free-agent market and perhaps teamed up with another superstar to try winning multiple NBA titles together. Antetokounmpo instead will spend the summer celebrating a championship he won with the team that picked him. Leading the Bucks to their first NBA crown in half century rewarded Antetokounmpo for his December decision to sign a supermax extension with Milwaukee. Antetokounmpo averaged 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds and 5 assists to help the Bucks beat the Phoenix Suns 4-2 in the NBA Finals. “I could go to a superteam and just do my part and win a championship,’’ Antetokounmpo said Tuesday as he was flanked by the Larry O’Brien trophy and his NBA Finals MVP trophy. “But this is the hard way to do it and this is the way to do it. And we did it.” Antetokounmpo, 26, stuck with the franchise that had taken a chance on him eight years ago by selecting him with the 15th overall pick in the draft. He... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — This could have been the offseason in which Giannis Antetokounmpo entered the free-agent market and perhaps teamed up with another superstar to try winning multiple NBA titles together. Antetokounmpo instead will spend the summer celebrating a championship he won with the team that picked him. Leading the Bucks to their first NBA crown in half century rewarded Antetokounmpo for his December decision to sign a supermax extension with Milwaukee. Antetokounmpo averaged 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds and 5 assists to help the Bucks beat the Phoenix Suns 4-2 in the NBA Finals. “I could go to a superteam and just do my part and win a championship,’’ Antetokounmpo said Tuesday as he was flanked by the Larry O’Brien trophy and his NBA Finals MVP trophy. “But this is the hard way to do it and this is the way to do it. And we did it.” Antetokounmpo, 26, stuck with the franchise that had taken a chance on him eight years ago by selecting him with the 15th overall pick in the draft. He... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks suddenly are facing the daunting challenge of possibly having to move forward in their Eastern Conference finals without their two-time MVP. Giannis Antetokounmpo sustained a hyperextension of his left knee and and was forced out of the Bucks' Eastern Conference finals game against the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night. “It’s not good,” Bucks forward P.J. Tucker said. “It’s not good losing anybody on your team and losing your best player stinks.” The Hawks won 110-88, evening the best-of-seven series at 2-2. Antetokounmpo’s status for Game 5 at Milwaukee on Thursday night is not known. Antetokounmpo was defending a jam by Hawks center Clint Capela with 7:14 remaining in the third quarter when his left knee appeared to buckle. He fell to the floor in obvious pain, grimacing and clutching his knee. Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said the team would learn more about Antetokounmpo's status on Wednesday. “We’ll take everything as it comes," Budenholzer said. "We’ll... [More]

Giannis Antetokounmpo had no problem with his free throws — or his opponent — in Game 2. The Milwaukee Bucks' lopsided victory over the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference finals overshadowed all the pregame concerns about his lengthy free-throw routine. Antetokounmpo made three of four free throws and never faced any issues about violations of the 10-second rule in the Bucks' 125-91 runaway win that evened the series at 1-1. Game 3 is Sunday night in Atlanta. Officials entered the game facing renewed pressure to enforce the 10-second rule. The controversy placed Antetokounmpo, the two-time MVP, further in the spotlight. He thrived under pressure, scoring 25 points with nine rebounds and six assists. Antetokounmpo made one of two free throws in his first visit to the line with 3:24 remaining in the first period and both free throws in his only other opportunity late in the first half. He appeared to find a mix between sticking to his routine without taking the full 10 seconds. He insisted... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Brooklyn's blockbuster brought James Harden to play with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, creating a team with potential to shoot its way out of any situation. Milwaukee's move gave Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton a top two-way guard in Jrue Holiday, who could run his team and slow down the other. Both teams hoped their big trade was the one that would lead to a championship. One of them won't even get halfway there. The Nets and Bucks play Game 7 of their second-round series Saturday in Brooklyn, with the winner moving on to play for the Eastern Conference title and the loser falling well short of expectations. “With everything we’ve built and been through, we got the second seed for this particular reason and we’ve just got to go out there and hoop,” Harden said. “At home. One game.” In a series where the home team has won every game, the Nets hope their strong ending to the regular season pays off now. They won their final five games to finish two games ahead... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Brooklyn's blockbuster brought James Harden to play with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, creating a team with potential to shoot its way out of any situation. Milwaukee's move gave Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton a top two-way guard in Jrue Holiday, who could run his team and slow down the other. Both teams hoped their big trade was the one that would lead to a championship. One of them won't even get halfway there. The Nets and Bucks play Game 7 of their second-round series Saturday in Brooklyn, with the winner moving on to play for the Eastern Conference title and the loser falling well short of expectations. “With everything we’ve built and been through, we got the second seed for this particular reason and we’ve just got to go out there and hoop,” Harden said. “At home. One game.” In a series where the home team has won every game, the Nets hope their strong ending to the regular season pays off now. They won their final five games to finish two games ahead... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — First they lost James Harden, then Kyrie Irving, and finally the Brooklyn Nets lost their lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Though the series is tied, the Milwaukee Bucks are way ahead in the health category. Down to Kevin Durant as their lone healthy superstar, the Nets limped home to host Game 5 on Tuesday, a team that once piled up points with ease suddenly struggling to cobble together much offense at all. “This is what it’s all about in the playoffs, is you’re going to have ups and downs. You’re going to have momentum shifts, you’re going to have adversity and it’s about how you respond,” Nets coach Steve Nash said Monday. “So tomorrow is a great opportunity for us to show what we’re made of, respond in a positive way and put on our best performance of the series.” The Nets were bitten by the injury bug all season, with long absences for Durant and Harden in the second half. Their three stars played together only eight times in the regular season and they may... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — First they lost James Harden, then Kyrie Irving, and finally the Brooklyn Nets lost their lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Though the series is tied, the Milwaukee Bucks are way ahead in the health category. Down to Kevin Durant as their lone healthy superstar, the Nets limp home to host Game 5 on Tuesday, a team that once piled up points with ease suddenly struggling to cobble together much offense at all. “This is what it’s all about in the playoffs, is you’re going to have ups and downs. You’re going to have momentum shifts, you’re going to have adversity and it’s about how you respond,” Nets coach Steve Nash said Monday. “So tomorrow is a great opportunity for us to show what we’re made of, respond in a positive way and put on our best performance of the series.” The Nets were bitten by the injury bug all season, with long absences for Durant and Harden in the second half. Their three stars played together only eight times in the regular season and they may... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — First they lost James Harden, then Kyrie Irving, and finally the Brooklyn Nets lost their lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Though the series is tied, the Milwaukee Bucks are way ahead in the health category. Down to Kevin Durant as their lone healthy superstar, the Nets limp home to host Game 5 on Tuesday, a team that once piled up points with ease suddenly struggling to cobble together much offense at all. “This is what it’s all about in the playoffs, is you’re going to have ups and downs. You’re going to have momentum shifts, you’re going to have adversity and it’s about how you respond,” Nets coach Steve Nash said Monday. “So tomorrow is a great opportunity for us to show what we’re made of, respond in a positive way and put on our best performance of the series.” The Nets were bitten by the injury bug all season, with long absences for Durant and Harden in the second half. Their three stars played together only eight times in the regular season and they may... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — James Harden won't be back for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Milwaukee Bucks believe their shooting touch will. So the Bucks have plenty of reasons for optimism heading into the game Monday night. Yet there's also still plenty of cause for concern. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are still out there for the Brooklyn Nets, who spent all season working around injuries and proved another point about themselves after shaking off Harden's loss 43 seconds into Game 1. “That we have the capability of rising to the occasion,” Irving said. “We’re a very mature basketball club because we play selfless and we trust each other, so in any situation in a game I feel like we have the talent, we have the preparation, we have the coaching staff to be able to go out and execute.” They did that on both sides of the floor in their 115-107 victory in Game 1. Durant scored 29 points, Irving had 25 and the Nets held the Bucks to 6-for-30 shooting from 3-point range. The Phoenix... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Milwaukee’s roster transformation started after losing to Miami in last season’s playoffs, one that made the Bucks give themselves a critical look. So they got bigger. Tougher. More experienced. And in the playoff rematch with the Heat, they were simply better. Some of those new additions — Jrue Holiday, Bryn Forbes and Bobby Portis in particular — played huge roles for the Bucks in their first-round sweep of the Heat, one that ended Saturday and ensured that Milwaukee gets at least a full week off to prepare for an Eastern Conference semifinals matchup against either Brooklyn or Boston. “There were a lot of adjustments to be made,” Bucks center Brook Lopez said. “And all of that was for this time. A trio of returning players — Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Lopez — were Milwaukee’s leading scorers against Miami, averaging a combined 61 points per game. Holiday, Forbes and Portis combined to average 41 more, and Forbes was particularly good from 3-point range off... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Donte DiVincenzo’s season is over, after tests showed Friday that the Milwaukee guard tore a ligament in his left ankle during Game 3 of the Bucks’ playoff series against the Miami Heat. DiVincenzo had appeared in 69 games for Milwaukee this season, all of them starts including the three playoff matchups. His regular-season averages — 10.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists — were all the best of his three-year career. “It’s tough news. On an individual, personal level for Donte, it’s really, really tough,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said Friday. “But his mentality, his approach, anytime Donte is thrown some adversity or thrown something that’s difficult for himself or for everybody, the way he handles it just continues to be impressive every time.” The injury happened early in the second quarter. DiVincenzo was driving toward the basket when he apparently took a bad step and immediately winced in obvious pain. He made his way back to the other end of the court toward the... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The price the Bucks paid to add Jrue Holiday to their roster and the amount they invested to keep him underscores how much Milwaukee believes the guard can help them end a half-century of NBA postseason frustration. Holiday gets his chance to hold up his end of the deal this weekend when the Bucks begin a first-round series with the Miami Heat, who eliminated them in the second round last year. “I think for somebody who just wants an opportunity to win and do the best they can, to come to a team like this and try to make something happen, I’m ready for this,” Holiday said. “I’m excited to get going.” Milwaukee posted the NBA’s best regular-season record in 2018-19 and 2019-20 but fell short in the playoffs both times. The Bucks responded by overhauling their roster and putting a new group around two-time reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and two-time All-Star forward Khris Middleton. No change was bigger than the addition of Holiday, who is playing for a legitimate title... [More]