The 26-year-old swingman is used to living his NBA life in the shadows after six seasons in the league — five with the Milwaukee Bucks and his superstar teammate Giannis Antetokounmpo — but this was different. Prior to Game 3 against the Boston Celtics,nfl jersey wholesale Boston reporter repeatedly called Middleton “Jabari,” in reference to Middleton’s teammate Jabari Parker, asking Middleton a question as if he were Parker about his minutes after two subpar games to start the series.
“At first it threw me off,” Middleton said. “I didn’t know what he was talking about. I hear him saying, ‘Jabari, what about your comments?’ And that’s why I really didn’t know what to say at first, so I kept going to a different question. Then it finally clicked that he really thought I was Jabari afterward. A couple people let me know, too. So I didn’t know what the hell was going on really, man.”
As the Bucks get set for their most important game of the season Thursday, down 3-2 to a young Celtics team and facing the possibility of playing the last game at the Bradley Center, Middleton can look back on the incident and laugh, knowing he’s making a name for himself this postseason. He is averaging 23.1 points on 57 percent shooting through the first five games.
Middleton, who, unlike Parker, performed well in his 84 combined minutes in the Bucks’ two losses to start the series, made a mental note about the confusing shootaround exchange. He was ready when the reporter — this time referencing Middleton by his correct name — asked another question after the Bucks’ Game 3 win. In a moment that quickly went viral, Middleton, seated alongside Antetokounmpo at the podium, made light of the misstep.
“Khris is playing great,” Antetokounmpo said. “It’s great having a guy next to you that plays that well in this series. If I’m not going, if [Eric] Bledsoe is not getting his rhythm, we’ll always have Khris.”
While 40-year-old Jason Terry serves as the sage veteran presence for this group at times, it’s Middleton who has served as a calming influence for the rest of the young team. He has been the most dependable player on either team throughout this series. Entering Wednesday night’s playoff slate, nfl jerseys cheap authentic Middleton was tied for the highest 3-point field goal percentage in the playoffs, among players to take at least 10 3-pointers, according to ESPN Stats & Information. He is shooting 18-for-30 from beyond the arc — good for 60 percent. His recent play is even more impressive when considering he shot just 35.9 percent from beyond the arc in the regular season.
