Does Khris Middleton play against the Magic after his recent benching?

The Milwaukee Bucks (19-16) will begin their two-match road trip against Orlando Magic (22-17) on Friday night at the KIA Center, with a striker Chris Middleton listed which is likely due to ongoing bilateral ankle injuries following offseason surgery.

Middleton’s role was the topic of conversation after the Bucks’ 121-105 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday. In that game, Milwaukee decided to start Taurean Prince, keeping Middleton on the bench. Middleton struggled to find his rhythm, contributing eight points, five rebounds and three assists on 2-for-7 shooting in 21 minutes.

Despite the bench, Middleton remains an integral part of Milwaukee’s rotation as he continues to recover from double ankle surgery. In 13 games this season, the veteran forward is averaging 12.3 points, 4.8 assists and 4.5 rebounds in 23.6 minutes per game.

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Khris Middleton’s injury status against the Magic

The Bucks are expected to finalize Middleton’s availability closer to tipoff at 7:00 PM ET. Friday’s game will also mark the second meeting of the season between the Bucks and the Magic, with Milwaukee winning Game 1 114-109 during the NBA Cup quarterfinals. In that game, Middleton did not score a goal, but contributed eight assists, four rebounds and three steals.

The Magic will return forward Paolo Banchero to the lineup after missing 33 games due to a torn right hair. Buncher’s return adds another layer of intrigue to a game where both teams are fighting for a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference.

The Bucks listed Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard as probables in addition to Khris Middleton. Antetokounmpo is dealing with tendinopathy in his right patella and Lillard has a contusion in his left calf.

Antetokounmpo has been dominant this season, averaging 31.3 points, 11.8 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.4 blocks per game while shooting 59.9%. Lillard, in his first season with the Bucks, is averaging 24.8 points, 7.4 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.1 steals while shooting 44% from the field and 37.6% from three-point range.

The Bucks will look to keep their momentum going and improve to 2-0 in the season series against Orlando. With Middleton’s status still pending, his role and impact remain key factors in Milwaukee’s quest for consistency this season.