Milwaukee Bucks' Khris Middleton Bloodied in Boston Celtics Beatdown

The Milwaukee Bucks were left bruised and battered in last night's 140-99 demolition at the hands of the Boston Celtics, and no player took more lumps than Khris Middleton. The three-time All-Star exited in the third quarter after absorbing an elbow from Celtics guard/forward Jaylen Brown that left him bleeding from the mouth.

Khris Middleton bleeding all over the floor
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— Bucks Lead (@BucksLead) March 31, 2023

The hit appeared inadvertent, and the game was already well out of hand with the Celtics holding an 87-53 lead midway through the third quarter. Middleton went to the locker room having hit five of his 13 field goal attempts for 13 points, five rebounds, and four assists in a little under 20 minutes of play.

Things got testy in the ensuing period. Bucks forward Thanasis Antetokounmpo was later ejected for headbutting Celtics center Blake Griffin, which sparked a pull-apart late in the fourth quarter. Needless to say, the Bucks were frustrated.

The game tightened the race for the Eastern Conference's top seed. The Celtics now sit only 2.0 games behind the Bucks. With only five games remaining in both their schedules, it's unlikely the Celtics will be able to close the distance. Still, they've certainly raised the stakes and tension for a seemingly inevitable postseason clash. The Celtics defeated the Bucks in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals last year in seven games before eventually falling to the Golden State Warriors in the Finals.

The Bucks will attempt to get back on track when they host the Philadelphia 76ers Sunday in another clash of Eastern Conference elite. Meanwhile, the Celtics will try to maintain their momentum when they host the Indiana Pacers on Friday night in the second leg of a back-to-back.