Bucks lock up No. 1 spot in Eastern Conference playoffs, but Khris Middleton leaves with injury

The Milwaukee Bucks are officially No. 1.

Milwaukee clinched the top seeding in the Eastern Conference playoffs by taking care of the Chicago Bulls, 105-92, on Wednesday night at Fiserv Forum.

The accomplishment is worth celebrating for the Bucks (58-22), but the joy was tempered a bit by several injuries the team has picked up in recent games.

BOX SCORE: Bucks 105, Bulls 92

Milwaukee's veteran depth came through to pull away from the Bulls (38-42).

"We got a lot of guys that can play," Bucks guard Wesley Matthews. "A lot of guys that will step up to the occasion.

"The NBA is kind of a blessing in disguise. It's an 82-game season. It's a grind. Unfortunately this game has injuries and guys have been in and out of the lineup. I don't know how many rotations, how many starting lineups we've had over the course of this season.

"And for us to have 58 wins, clinch the No. 1 overall, is a testament to everyone's character in the locker room and the determination to be the last team standing."

Milwaukee has two more games in the regular season – vs. Memphis on Friday and at Toronto on Sunday – so the team can opt to rest key players before the playoffs.

"Now we get to take a breath," Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. "I have no idea what we'll do Friday and Sunday.

"But we'll take a breath tonight. The guys have earned it. Ton of credit to what they've done to put themselves in this position."

Khris Middleton leaves game with knee soreness

Khris Middleton took the Bucks' first shot of the game, a turnaround on the baseline, but looked a little hobbled while running back on defense.

Middleton stayed in the game for most of the first quarter, missing two more attempts, but checked out with 3:36 remaining. He went back into the locker room, and the Bucks announced that Middleton would not return with right knee soreness.

That is concerning for Bucks fans because Middleton has been banged up all season. He hurt his left knee in last season's playoffs and missed the start of the season after wrist surgery. Middleton also missed 18 games with right knee soreness.

"A re-aggravation of kind of something that we've been working with him on all year," Budenholzer said.

Bucks battling other injury issues as Giannis Antetokounmpo sits out

Budenholzer said before game that two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo would sit out the game. The Milwaukee star was listed on the injury report with right knee soreness. He played 33 minutes on Tuesday night at Washington.

Bucks guards Pat Connaughton and Grayson Allen were both out with right ankle sprains.

Both guards were hurt in similar fashion by landing on opponents' feet. Allen left Sunday's victory over the Philadelphia 76ers, and Budenholzer said on Tuesday that Allen would likely be out until the first round of the playoffs.

Connaughton was hurt in the first half against the Wizards on Tuesday night, but played several minutes after the injury. Connaughton was on the Bucks'' bench on Wednesday, but Allen was not.

Bobby Portis, Wesley Matthews, Brook Lopez step up for Bucks

The game looked like it was slipping away from the Bucks when the Bulls took a 61-51 lead early in the third quarter.

But Milwaukee bounced back to take a 74-72 lead on a layup from Brook Lopez, and the Bucks cruised from there.

Jrue Holiday had 20 points, 15 assists and eight rebounds for the Bucks. He also had seven turnovers, tossing his headband after one in the third quarter, before finishing strong.

"He's a hell of a player," Matthews said. "He's so underrated, what Jrue does in this league. He holds himself accountable and he always makes up for it."

Without Antetokounmpo and Middleton, Lopez and Portis relished the chance to take prominent roles on offense.

Lopez scored 26 points on 10-for-19 shooting. He's only had two other games this season with more field-goal attempts.

"I'm always ready for that," Lopez said. "I'm always ready to step up offensively."

Portis started in the place of Antetokounmpo and finished with 27 points and 13 rebounds. He had double-doubles in both games of the Bucks' back-to-back set after 19 points and 20 boards against the Washington Wizards on Tuesday.

Portis knocked down 6 of 9 from beyond the arc.

"I like shooting the ball," Portis said to laughter. "Couple guys out, that's a lot more shots out there so I can be a little bit more aggressive.

"It's fun, though. Just to play this game. I take pride in it. Take pride in staying ready."

Matthews has seen his playing time fluctuate this season, but with so many perimeter players out in recent games he has been pressed into service. He scored seven points, pulled down eight rebounds and played tight defense on Bulls star DeMar DeRozan (eight points on 3-for-12 shooting).

"It's never easy to manage because above everything else I'm a competitor," Matthews said of his up-and-down role. "But within that it's understanding that you can still impact the game.

"That goes back to what my mom told me when, I think I was probably like 4 or 5 years old, is that there are so many ways you can impact the basketball game.

"Other than my high school career, I have never been the leading scorer on my team. Could I have done it? Probably. But that wasn't what was asked of me. It was to win. Help the team win. By any means necessary."

Five numbers

5 Assists for Holiday in the first quarter

10 Players who made an appearance for the Bucks in the first half

$10,000 Amount won by a Bucks fan after hitting a halfcourt shot during halftime

6 Three-pointers for Portis to set a season high

3 Straight games with 20 or more points for Lopez

Play of the game is Wesley Matthews' three-pointer

Matthews came through with big plays off the bench, including a big three-pointer after a steal by Holiday that gave the Bucks a 91-82 lead with just over seven minutes remaining.

Video of the game is Joe Ingles getting a technical foul against Patrick Beverley

Milwaukee’s Joe Ingles and Chicago’s Patrick Beverley are two of the NBA’s preeminent trash talkers. Put them on the court together and sparks are bound to ignite. That happened in the third quarter after Ingles and Beverley had been agitating each other for several possessions. Then Ingles nailed a three-pointer and got in the face of Beverley, with the Bucks forward getting hit with a technical foul.

Who do the Bucks play next?

Milwaukee will play its final home game of the regular season against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday. Memphis handed the Bucks one of their worst losses this season, 142-101, on Dec. 15 at FedEx Forum.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Bucks beat Bulls without Giannis to clinch No. 1 spot in NBA playoffs