The NBA playoffs are in full swing, but multiple teams are plagued by injuries, with 10 players already injured so far. Among them, the defending champion Bucks suffered another heavy blow, the team's second-in-command Middleton was injured, suffered a second-degree sprain of the medial collateral ligament of the left knee, and the Eastern Conference semifinals were basically reimbursed.
In the first round, the Bucks did not disclose the specific injury of Middleton, and now successfully advanced, the famous Shams revealed the latest situation, Middleton's left knee medial collateral ligament sprain is a second-degree sprain, is expected to miss the entire Eastern Conference semifinals with the Celtics.
This news is still a big blow for the defending champion Bucks, without Middleton they can eliminate the Bulls, but facing the Celtics without him, it will be very difficult.
Middleton was injured in the second game of the first round when an attack slipped and suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee and has been absent from the game ever since. Fortunately, the team still did not give the Bulls a chance when he was missing him, and three consecutive cities eliminated the Bulls 4-1 to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals. In this playoff, Middleton played only 2 games, averaging 14.5 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists per game, shooting 42.9% from three-point range.
Don't look at the data is not very dazzling, but at the critical moment, Middleton can still carry the big flag and can share the pressure of the alphabet brother. Middleton is an important part of the Bucks' system, he is the second ball-holding offensive point besides the alphabet brother, compared with the Bulls, the Celtics defense is a level up, the alphabet brother to encounter key restrictions. Without Middleton, we have to count on the outside players to find the feel, and if they can't help, the Bucks are really dangerous.
Due to Middleton's absence, the Bucks are no longer favored, with only a 25 percent chance of advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals and 75 percent for the Celtics. Judging from the performance in the first round, the Celtics really deserve to be more optimistic, they have excellent performances on both offensive and defensive ends, and they really should become the favorite to win the championship.