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Jamal Collier, ESPN
LAS VEGAS — Milwaukee Bucks guards Khris Middleton and Damian Lillard missed practice Monday, but both are listed as probable for Tuesday’s NBA Cup Final against the Oklahoma City Thunder at T- Mobile Arena.
Middleton missed practice due to illness, while Lillard experienced some discomfort in his right calf.
Lillard said he felt the discomfort during the second quarter of Saturday’s semifinal against the Atlanta Hawks, but expects to play Tuesday.
“I just irritated him a little bit, so it was just a nuisance,” Lillard said Monday afternoon. “When I have something on my calf, sometimes I start to panic. But I knew it was nothing serious. Just a little irritation. So I’ve been doing treatment and doing everything I can to try to get through it and get ready for tomorrow “
Lillard has played in all but three games this season for Milwaukee, averaging 25.7 points and 7.5 assists on 45% shooting from the field.
Middleton has played in just four games this season, averaging 7.0 points, 5.8 assists and 3.0 rebounds. He sat out the Bucks’ first 21 games while recovering from surgeries on both ankles during the offseason.
The three-time All-Star, who was part of Milwaukee’s 2021 NBA championship and USA Basketball’s run to Olympic gold at the Tokyo Games later that summer, scored six points for the Bucks on Saturday in the team semifinal victory over Atlanta as a team. works to incorporate him back into the lineup.
“He’s smart enough to find his way and obviously we’re going to have a lot of opportunities for him,” Lillard said. “The opportunity will be there, but we’re not going to try to force it or anything like that.
“We’ve got something good going. We’ve figured out a lot of things. I don’t think he’s someone we need to help too much or worry about working with. It’ll happen organically.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
