Bucks remain mum on Middleton's status for Celtics series

Milwaukee Bucks' Khris Middleton tries to get past Chicago Bulls' Patrick Williams during the first half of Game 2 of their first round NBA playoff basketball game Wednesday, April 20, 2022, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash) (Morry Gash, Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer offered no new details Friday on Khris Middleton’s potential availability for the defending champions’ Eastern Conference semifinal matchup with the Boston Celtics.

Middleton said a week ago that he hoped to come back from his knee injury in two weeks. That means he would miss at least the first two games of the Celtics series, which starts Sunday in Boston.

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Whether he’d actually be able to return that soon remains uncertain. The three-time All-Star hasn’t played since spraining the medial collateral ligament in his left knee April 20 in Game 2 of the Bucks’ first-round series with the Chicago Bulls.

“There’s nothing new on his timeline,” Budenholzer said. “When we have something to update you with, we will. There’s nothing new.”

Budenholzer did say he’s hopeful that George Hill could return at some point during the Celtics series, though the 35-year-old guard isn't expected to be available Sunday. Hill missed the entire Bulls series with an abdominal strain.

Budenholzer also said that Giannis Antetokounmpo practiced Friday. Antetokounmpo had his left wrist treated Wednesday in Game 5 of the Bulls series, though he still played 30 minutes and had 33 points and nine rebounds in the Bucks’ 116-100 victory.

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