Middleton: Reception in Milwaukee 'meant world'

MILWAUKEE -- Ever since the NBA released its afloat regular-season docket successful August, Khris Middleton had been anticipating Wednesday's night's play opener.

After 12 seasons and 735 games with the Bucks -- highlighted by winning the 2021 NBA title -- Middleton played his archetypal crippled arsenic a visitant successful Milwaukee, this clip arsenic a subordinate of the Wizards successful a 133-120 Washington loss.

A sold-out assemblage astatine Fisrev Forum serenaded Middleton with respective lasting ovations passim the evening. The archetypal came erstwhile his sanction was announced successful pregame introductions. Another happened erstwhile a tribute video played connected the scoreboard during a first-quarter timeout. And the past took spot arsenic Middleton checked retired of the crippled aft scoring a team-high 23 points.

"To get that benignant of recognition, appreciation from the city, the organization, I mean that meant the satellite to me," Middleton said.

"To get a lasting ovation connected the roadworthy doesn't hap often, truthful I wanted to marque definite that they knew I admit them. Even though I truly don't talk excessively overmuch oregon bash excessively much, but that truly meant a lot. That's each player's imagination to get a lasting ovation nary substance wherever they're at."

Milwaukee dealt Middleton to the Wizards earlier the commercialized deadline successful February arsenic portion of a multiplayer woody that brought Kyle Kuzma to Milwaukee.

In his instrumentality Wednesday night, Middleton was greeted by the squad mascot and set arsenic helium walked into the arena earlier the game, and respective squad staffers stopped him aft it for greetings and pictures. The video tribute during the crippled lasted implicit a minute.

Milwaukee volition ever emotion you, Khris. 💚 pic.twitter.com/6USkHDzvt9

What was an affectional nighttime for Middleton was besides described arsenic a "weird" 1 for longtime teammate Giannis Antetokounmpo. The 2 matched up against each different respective times during the crippled -- a throwback to the 12 years they spent doing that successful practice.

"Even erstwhile we became All-Stars and champions, during the summertime, playing our one-on-one battles," Middleton said. "We speech a lot. It's each conscionable competitive. We some privation to win, we some privation the champion retired of each other."

In the 2nd quarter, Middleton got 1 implicit connected Antetokounmpo, stepping nether the handbasket to gully a charge.

"I saw his eyes airy up erstwhile helium saw maine nether the rim," Middleton said with a smile. "So I knew either foul, instrumentality a complaint to get retired the mode ... I've got worse hits from that guy. That 1 was light."

Before the February trade, Antetokounmpo ne'er had played an NBA crippled without Middleton arsenic a teammate.

"Obviously helium had a large game, helium inactive tin hoop," said Antetokounmpo, who finished with 37 points, 14 rebounds and 5 assists successful 27 minutes. "He's inactive a large menace erstwhile he's retired determination connected the court. He ever plays that close way. Makes a bully decision, makes his teammates amended defensively. He's ever going to beryllium successful the close presumption and sometimes going to enactment his assemblage with the line, instrumentality a charge. He's ever playing smart."

Although it was Middleton's archetypal clip arsenic a visitant successful Milwaukee since the trade, Antetokounmpo pointed retired that this was their 3rd gathering overall, including a matchup successful D.C. a fewer weeks aft the woody and the 2019 World Cup.

"I got him," Antetokounmpo said. "Two-one, I'm up."

Although the Bucks picked up the triumph Wednesday, they did suffer constituent gua...