The Milwaukee Bucks will be without a key piece as they look to secure this core's first piece of hardware.
Forward Khris Middleton has been ruled out with an illness as the team gets ready to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Cup Final on Tuesday night.
Middleton, 33, missed Monday's practice and his status was up in the air ahead of the game, however, the team had him listed as probable previously.
Middleton has played in only four games this season, averaging 7.0 points, 5.8 assists and 3.0 rebounds in those contests. He missed the Bucks’ first 21 games while recovering from off-season surgeries on both of his ankles.
The Bucks also practised Monday without guard Damian Lillard, who irritated a calf injury in Saturday’s semifinal win over Atlanta but finished the game.
“When I have something with my calf, sometimes I start panicking. But I knew it wasn’t nothing serious. Just a little irritation,” Lillard said. “I’ve just been doing treatment and doing all the stuff to try to get ahead of it and just get ready for tomorrow.”
He left no doubt about his status for the final.
“I'm playing,” Lillard said.
Middleton is a three-time All-Star who was part of Milwaukee's NBA championship and USA Basketball's run to Olympic gold at the Tokyo Games in 2021. He had six points for the Bucks in the win over the Hawks.
-- With files from the Associated Press
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